I have that NIWAKI book and I think it has numerous shortcomings including the one you mentioned. If you're not reading JOJG you might want to reconsider. They have shrub pruning articles all the time.

Hi
This is my email address I did not recieved your E mail. send me email again.
yama

Hi sheree.
I have a van which has 35 gal gas tank. It cost me full gas tank plus to make round trip to SC.If you and other 4,5 peoples to get gather and pay travel expence,Gas, Barger king lunch, wendy's dinner, I will consider to visit to SC and shere my knowlege and skill.
Early morning to dark. It won't be bad deal ^^.
probably Ben who works at art college not far from where you are, may want to join too.
Since I lost home by divorce, I have no place to teach.
Talk to school official ,co workers or place notice on GW Japanese garden forum if anyone want to join.

yama

Hi, Sheree

I am 'Ben' referred to above by Yama ... I live and work in Greenwood (50 miles south of you) ... he and I have talked by phone and agreed that I would try to coordinate a pruning workshop conducted by Yama if we can get enough people to make it worth his while. Yama is native Japanese, he has gardened all his life, and he is very knowledgeable .... I do not think that it is an overstatement to regard him as one of the best in the SE USA. We wonder if it would be possible to hold a workshop at Furman? Please contact me at benjammine@yahoo. Thanks!

Hi all
Japanese style pruning are basicly thining out,leave,twigs/branch. it requie knowlege of knots,proper use of ladders.And we hade some trick of trade which offten books are not showing. Shape of shurbs , kind of shurbs are not cover in one book,and we use different tools than most western pruning book show.
Teaching pruning, I have to show what tools must have, how to sharpe it, do and don't. what bamboo have to use to shape tree, and basic culture of bamboos
If barnch is thick and strong, have to use chesal and split branch and use comealong to pull down barnch.
red pine, black pine, white pine, virginia pine, mugo pine , etc. pruing one pine tree to another are also slitely difference too.
It is very hard to explain everything on paper. ^^ .

yama

Yama:

This is fantastic. If anyone else is the northern part of Georgia or South Carolina and wants to participate, this would be amazing. It would be a privilege to help share in paying your expenses Yama.

Since I and most folks work during the week, can we schedule it on Saturday? I will also have to make sure that we can do this on campus. But the Asian Study Department might have some faculty and students who would be interested in this also.

I will E-mail you and Ben also.

Hi Sheree
I am glad that we can communicateing now. If you, stuff and students of Furman Univercity like to see me, I am happy to assist you anyway I can.
I have a friend/former student who live near the Univercity. He offered me to stay . so that Friday, saturday. or saturday and sunday is possible. He and other few will contact you soon to tell you about classes I offered in the past So that you know me better.Or you can call me or send me E mail.
yama

Hey Sheree,

I heard a while back that the garden was slated to be rennovated, but i was under the imression that it fell through. I am very happy to hear that the construction is partially complete and i look forward to visiting the new garden. Was David Slawson involved in the redesign, and if no, do you know whom?

I am also very excited to have Mike Yamakami coming to Greenville, SC for a Japanese gardening workshop. If we could actually have it at the garden, it would be a real privilege and treat. If anyone is interested in attending the workshop, please follow this thread as more specific information regarding the date and time will be available soon. Greenville, SC is about an hour from Asheville, NC, about 1h 45m from Charlotte, NC, and a little over 2 hours from Atlanta, GA. Anyone with a sincere intereste in JGs is encouraged to attend.

I have attended a number of Mr. Yamakami's workshops in the past, and have learned some very specific and valuable Japanese gardening information. In the past we have discussed and worked on things as varied as:

Identification, cultivation, and propogation of bamboo
Containing bamboo
Harvesting and curing bamboo
Tools for processing and building with bamboo
Bamboo construction (fences, arbors, spouts, supports)
Training pine trees with bamboo supports
Pruning tools and techniques for trees and shrubs
Creating specialized tools for unique circumstances
Building a tripod ladder from hickory
Creative use of ladders in difficult spaces using guy wires and bamboo supports
Hardscape design and construction (pathways, stepping stones, boulders, fences)
Stone selection and transportation
On site stone movement using a tripod and chain hoist
Aesthetic stone placement
Site specific and design objective plant selection
Japanese plant substitutions
Containerized plant installation and care
Transplanting large material
Maintenance issues
Pest management and chemical safety
Tree climbing and safety
Pond and water feature installations
Site survey
Materials estimation
Scheduling and coordination of construction phases
Design elements and functions in a Japanese garden
Theory and symbology of garden design

One of my transcriptions of a bamboo fence building workshop given by Mike Yamakami is still viewable at the JGarden website here: http://www.jgarden.org/features.asp?ID=75

I can also post an article from a stone setting workshop given by Mr. Yamakami if anyone is interested.

-christian m.

Hi,Christian

I have not met you (yet) though we have spoken by phone. I would very much like to see your stone setting workshop notes and photos and I am am sure others would as well. I am looking forward to meeting you at Yamas workshop at Furman on Mar 29. Ben H