Jim Wald<p>Word of the Japanese surrender to the Allies in <a href="https://historians.social/tags/WorldWarII" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WorldWarII</span></a> reached the US on 14 August 1945 and the UK on 15 August. </p><p>Yesterday, in the National Arboretum in Washington, I saw this <a href="https://historians.social/tags/bonsai" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>bonsai</span></a> tree. The Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora 'Miyajima') survived the <a href="https://historians.social/tags/atombomb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>atombomb</span></a> at <a href="https://historians.social/tags/Hiroshima" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Hiroshima</span></a>. The Yamaki family, which had tended the tree since the 17th century, donated it to the United States as part of a bicentennial gift from the people of <a href="https://historians.social/tags/Japan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Japan</span></a> in 1976.</p><p><a href="https://historians.social/tags/WWII" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WWII</span></a> <a href="https://historians.social/tags/VJDay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VJDay</span></a></p>