Sample Asia at Sandy festival

Ken Yamane hand selected many of his 60 bonsai trees from the wild. For his collection, he searched for trees that were nearly dead, with brittle branches, withering leaves and dry roots. This allowed him to achieve a popular look with his bonsai trees — an appearance that is developed by starting out with ones that struggled to survive during their early years.

"You really get to know each tree, and I put a lot of time into them," he said. "There was a three- or four-year commitment just establishing them in the soil."

Of his 60 trees, several will be on display at this year's Utah Asian Festival, where he will offer advice on bonsai cultivation. The festival will be held June 12, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy.

The ancient art uses special techniques to create trees that imitate — in small scale — trees in the wild, without genetic modification.

Yamane — a bonsai master — is one of many participants who will share their talent at this year's festival, which aims to bring people together from all different backgrounds to learn more about Asian cultures.

"Throughout the years, this festival has provided an awareness of the Asian community here and a venue that encompasses all the arts," said Jo-Ann Wong, a member of the planning and development committee for the festival. "You can see a grandmother and granddaughter on the stage performing together — the older generation teaching the younger generation the traditions."

Like Yamane, there will be many festival participants who will be passing on their skills to others in an effort to maintain their heritage.

"I wanted to share the art of bonsai with younger Japanese Americans," he said. "My daughter is fourth-generation Japanese — and she has no Japanese culture at all. I think that is quite common in Utah and all over the United States. I hate to see people lose that culture, because once you lose it, it's difficult to get back."

Even though Yamane has been practicing bonsai for 20 years, as a teenager he had no interest in it. His father was passionate about bonsai, though. When they went fishing together, his father stared at the trees along the bank, paying close attention to their foliage and the way the branches twisted.

"I didn't understand him then," he said. "I would always ask, 'Dad, what are you doing?' "