ABOUT

Nao Tokutake is a bonsai potter based out of Hillsboro, Oregon. He spent much of his childhood in the mountains of Nagano prefecture in the town of Yamanouchi (famous for their hot spring bathing snow monkeys), surrounded by nature.  He has fond memories of accompanying his Jii-chan as he cultivated potatoes, picked mountain vegetables and mushrooms, and tended his shohin bonsai. The Oregon climate is nostalgic of his times in Japan, and it is here that he has thrown himself (almost) fully into the art of both bonsai and bonsai pottery (he still has a very busy full-time day job). Nao's background in mechanical engineering and material science drew him into the nuances and thrills of glazing chemistry and experimentation.  In non-pandemic times, his wares can occasionally be found at monthly club meetings, occasional bonsai events or by private appointment at his backyard studio. For any custom sales inquiries or orders, please feel free to use the contact form. Nao is a member of the Bonsai Society of Portland.

 

Notable Mentions:

Ceramic ware for Finest Deciduous Bonsai, U.S. Bonsai Nationals 2021

(Washington Hawthorne by Dennis Vojtilla with a Nao Tokutake Oval glazed pot)

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