Masao Morisaku, 89, was honored for his decades of service to the SCGF.

Naoko Kamitani

Special guest and ikebana master Kaz Kitajima demonstrated how to build a soaring flower arrangement with traditional Japanese tools.

Hisamori Iwashita leads the gathering in a toast to the New Year.
Photos by MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS / Rafu Shimpo

By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
RAFU STAFF WRITER

MONTEBELLO.–More than 75 guests and members were on hand as the Southern California Gardeners’ Federation held its 71st officers installation and New Year’s luncheon on Feb. 1.

The midday gathering took place in one of the sun-kissed banquet rooms at the Quiet Cannon, and featured speeches, special guests, and raffle prizes in addition to the introduction of the organization’s new leaders.

The 2026 cabinet members are: President Brian Yamasaki; First Vice president Yasunori Arakaki; Second Vice president Takashi Kushi; Third Vice president Satoru Takura; Fourth Vice president Masao Morisaku; Secretary Derek Furukawa; Main Treasurer Kazuo Oda; and Auditor Noriko Jaramillio.

Kihei Otani, advisor for the Nanka Kenjinkai Kyogikai, said reaching its 70th anniversary last year is an extraordinary milestone for the federation, which began in the 1950s as an affiliation of gardeners and landscapers who would meet in Little Tokyo. The SCGF currently supports 11 chapters across Los Angeles and Orange counties.

“The story of this organization is deeply rooted in the history of Japanese immigrant gardeners who, in the difficult postwar years, worked tirelessly to rebuild not only their livelihoods, but also the reputation of their community in California,” he said.

Yamasaki said maintaining the more than 40 Japanese gardens across Southern California – and nearly 100 nationwide – is becoming more challenging as younger generations choose careers other than traditional Japanese gardening. He added that the award he received last year from the the Japanese government’s Agricultural Association has only strengthened his resolve to keep the federation alive.

In her remarks, Deputy Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles Naoko Kamitani said the true value of the federation extends well beyond their labor with plants and landscaping.

“The work of the gardeners is not merely about technical skills, but is deeply intertwined with cultural and spiritual elements,” she said.

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