Maple Society Meeting in Tokyo

June 10, 2008

This year, the Maple Society is meeting in Japan.  What a great trip for the maple enthusiast.   Not only will you visit some of the top maple nurseries in Japan, you will also be able to go to fabulous gardens and learn a little about the Japanese culture and customs. 

This is a worthwhile trip for anyone interested in seeing Japan in a different view.  Please read the notes and  itinerary below:

                                     ASIA     AMERICA      EUROPE
 
                 MEETING IN TOKYO, JAPAN NOVEMBER 12 – 14, 2008
                                                POST TOURS
                          TOCHIGI PREFECTURE         NOVEMBER 14 – 15, 2008
                          KYOTO, JAPAN AREA           NOVEMBER 16 – 18, 2008
 
     I was just on the phone with Brian Upchurch who has just returned from Japan and he told me most of the Conference details have been worked out.  The Japanese, like most of the worlds cultures, like to spend time negotiating over price.  This means Brian and Todd Lasseine have to take much time to get us a five star experience for a two star price while the rest of us impatiently wait.  They and the Nurserymens Association of Japan are doing a great job at their time and expense to keep costs down for us while lining out a never to be forgotten lifetime not to be missed experience.  Please have patience for final details but book your trip now.
 
     The Post Tours will be packed with sights and information that will boggle your mind.  We will see many things most tourists never see and learn much more than can be imagined.  If at all possible you will definitely want to include the post tours in your trip.
 
     To keep track of progress go to “Google” and type in “Maple Society” then click on the first/top of list.  Now click on “2008 Maple Society Meeting” and don’t forget to click on “this thread” at bottom of article for more information.  Brian and Todd will get information as soon as firmly confirmed to Daniel Mosquin who will get information up on web site.
 
     Please share this information with any and all as far and wide as possible so that we can share a never to be forgotten experience with as many people as possible.  We should be able to greatly increase our membership with this event.   I’m finding out people are anxious to join us to be able to participate in such an event.  Fun – Sharing – Learning – New Friends – MEMORIES at a never again price, what more can you ask for.    Please send me names with e-mail address so we can add them to these information mailings.  Help me help you by getting additions, corrections and information to me so it can be shared.
 
Remember you must depart the U.S. on November 10th to arrive Narita Airport Tokyo on November 11th so you will be able to get to the start of meeting on November 12th.  You loose a day crossing the international dateline but you gain a day coming home.
 
Hope to see you across the big pond
 
Frank Byles
Member Volunteer
 

Dear Fellow Maple Society Members:

 

I have been assisting Brian Upchurch in planning our first-ever international meeting in Japan.  Although all of the details are not worked out, we wanted to write you to let you know what information is available right now, particularly the dates so that you can go ahead and purchase plane tickets in case you are interested.  I apologize that I cannot furnish you with all of the details, but this E-mail includes all of the information that we currently have available.  Please read this entire E-mail before making any plans.

 

 

DATES:

      General Meeting — November 12 through 14, 2008

      Post-conference tour of nurseries and natural areas in Tochigi Prefecture (north-northwest of Tokyo) — November 14 & 15.

      Post-conference tour of gardens and nurseries and natural areas, Kyoto area and close-by — November 16, 17, & 18

 

SPEAKERS:

      Three speakers are confirmed from the Japanese Nurserymen’s Association

                Dr. Yokoi — New Japanese Maples

                Mr. Murakoshi — Native Maples of Japan

                Mr. Kawaharada — Propagation of Japanese Maples

                (More information on these speakers will be provided at a later time.)

      Non-Japanese speakers confirmed thus far:

                Dr. Richard Olsen, U.S. National Arboretum — Breeding and Selection Work in Acer at USNA

                Mr. Dan Hinkley, U.S. Pacific Northwest, famous plant explorer and horticultural guru — American Maples and their Asian Counterparts

      We are still working on a potential speaker from China as well as another from Europe.  There may be another speaker from North America.  These details will be announced as we have them available.

 

MEETING FACILITY:

       Kawaguchi Center (located in Saitama Prefecture, directly north of Tokyo) — This is an excellent facility at which both Brian and I have spoken, and it is very close to many of the nurseries located in Saitama Prefecture.  For those who do not know, the Kawaguchi city / Saitama city area is a very old nursery district (known before as Angyo) that houses a great many nurseries (much smaller in size to what we think of in North America, but in many cases growing a more diverse selection of plants).  Some of these nurseries are maple specialists.  Brian and I have traveled there on numerous occasions.  The Japanese have been practicing the art of horticulture for over 1,000 years, and the Angyo district is known to have had nurseries since at least the 1600s.  You will be amazed at the level of horticulture in this part of the world.  Prepare yourself!

 

MEETING COST:

       $100.00 — This registration fee is NOT due at this time but is only being furnished now to help you in your own decision-making process for determining if you can participate in this meeting.

 

LODGING:

       No exact details are yet known, but Brian will be traveling back to Japan before the end of May (this month) to finalize these matters.  This information, as with the meeting cost above, is only being provided for decision-making purposes.  Do not send in payment to myself or the Maple Society for this portion of the trip costs.  Details on this will be announced as soon as we have them.  Room rates will be roughly $160.00 per night per person for single occupancy and $80.00 per night per person for double occupancy.  These rates include breakfast.  All amounts are quoted in U.S. dollars.  I do not know how the fluctuating dollar will affect these rates at the moment.

 

TOUR INFORMATION:

        Tsukasa Maple Nursery — Morning of November 12 — A fee will be charged for this visit, roughly $50.00 to $60.00 per person, to cover bus fare, lunch, and other minor costs.  Tsukasa Maple Nursery is one of the best maple nurseries in the world.  Many of you will already know about this place, but will not have had the chance to visit.

 

        Tochigi Prefecture Tour will include visits to hot springs, the Toshogu shrine, maples in the wild, and other items on Nov. 14 and 15.  You will not be disappointed on this tour.  Preliminary costs are $200.00 to $250.00 per person including hotel and transportation. We are not sure if meals are covered in this cost, as yet.

 

         Kyoto Tour — Group will travel by Shinkansen (the bullet train) to Kyoto — a world-famous city renowned for its old temples and gardens.  We will also see many maples in the wild, but a list of which ones is not available. Since we will be traveling there during a busy tourist season for Kyoto, the cost will be around $300.00 to $400.00 per person including hotel, and transportation. As with the Tochigi Prefecture tour, we are again not sure if meal costs are included in this tour.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION:

         Flights:  Book all flights using Tokyo Narita (NRT) airport as the arrival destination.  We are not yet sure of shuttle service to Kawaguchi but will be working on this, too.  The shuttle may involve additional costs, but we do not yet know how much cost this may incur.  If you book your flights now, do not panic if we have not yet announced the shuttle service.  You should plan to arrive the day before the conference starts, not the day on which it begins.  You should also plan to depart the day after the conference or post-conference tour ends, whichever is applicable.  Do not forget to note that you will cross the international date line in traveling to and from Japan.  Make absolutely sure that you do not arrive a day late or leave a day earlier than you would like.

 

          Passports:  You will need a valid passport from your country of origin.  For U.S. visitors, no visa is required to travel to Japan.  Do NOT underestimate the time it will take for U.S. citizens to acquire passports as there have been considerable delays in processing these over the last year or so.  Information on acquiring passports, for those of you who do not have one, can be found out at your local post office.

 

          Plants:  The Society will not be handling any requests for assistance in bringing plants back from Japan to your country of origin on this trip.  Bringing plants into the U.S. (I cannot speak for Canada) is a difficult and tightly regulated process, for many valid reasons.  In addition to requiring a valid, unexpired U.S. plant import permit, a phytosanitary inspection certificate from the country of origin is also required.  We will not be asking our Japanese colleagues to facilitate the tedious and time-consuming matter of arranging for a Japanese phytosanitary inspection, as they will be fully immersed in preparing for the conference.  Fines for illegally bringing plants back in to the U.S. are severe (ranging in the thousands of dollars), and the plants will also be burned if found.  There are a number of insect and disease pests that exist in other countries but that have not yet made it to U.S. shores.  We want to keep it that way.  Please leave plant collecting to the professionals who do this for a living.  This is not a casual subject, and the “rule of 12″ that used to exist for all U.S. citizens no longer exists nor applies in the post-9/11 world.  I am sorry to have to sound so negative on this, but the Society simply cannot afford to be involved in any potential mishaps due to anyone illegally bringing in plants at the end of the trip and then claiming that it was sanctioned by the Society.

 

Thank you very much.  I hope that as many of you as possible will consider joining us this November in Japan.  This meeting will be a historic one for the Society, and we feel that you will leave with lifelong memories.  The people who are helping to organize this event on the other side of the Pacific are very excited and honored to have us come to Japan.  You will be very favorably impressed with them, not only for their professionalism and hospitality and horticultural expertise, but also for their kindness and friendship.

 

Thank you very much.  We will be back in touch with you with more exact details, including how to register, as soon as possible.  If you want to purchase you plane tickets now, please feel free to do so.

 

Sincerely,

Todd Lasseigne, Maple Society member

 

____________________________

 

F. Todd Lasseigne, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden

P.O. Box 725

Kernersville, NC  27285

 

Phone:  336 996 7888

Fax:  336 996 7884

E-mail:  ToddLasseigne@PJCBG.org

Web:  www.PJCBG.org

 

 

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