Since the 17th century, five generations of the Yamaki family tended this tree in Japan. The Yamakis, noted bonsai artists, lived in Hiroshima, where an outdoor nursery filled with priceless trees was attached to their home. On the morning of August 6, 1945, the Yamaki family and their bonsai survived the United States' atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Thirty years later, bonsai master Masuru Yamaki offered this tree, one of his oldest and most precious, as part of a gift from the people of Japan to the people of the United States in honor of America's 200th birthday. Today, the tree, a symbol of good will and friendship, welcomes visitors to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.
