Time-line of the Association

Prologue

Around the late 1980s, some people who were interested in botanical illustration(BI) made a proposal to start a nationwide organization for this uncommon art in those days, for the purpose of popularizing it as well as exchanging information and opinions related to BI. After many preparatory meetings for starting a desirable association, the philosophy and basic outline were finalized as below:

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(C)Kobayashi, Hidenari

The association does not give any authority to membership.
The Association is opened for everybody who has an interest in botanical illustration. Every member may act on an equal footing in the Association.
Local branch divisions should have moderate horizontal ties within the nation-wide Association and should aim for interacting with each other.

To the effect described above, members are recruited from all over the country.
Thus, the Japanese Association of Botanical Illustration was successfully established in 1991. Since then, the Association has performed various works in a step-by-step fashion as follows: General Annual Meetings, Training Workshops, Exhibitions of Member's Works, Publishing of Botanical Illustrated Books, Production of BI-Postal Card.

The next table presents the main works and events in the past. Plants might empower the Association to achieve these works.

1991	The inaugural meeting of the Japanese Association of Botanical Illustration(JABI) was held in the main auditorium of the National Museum of Nature and Science in May 3th. The membership at the time came to 253. Since the budget for JABI was funded only by the membership dues, it was a challenge on how to inexpensively operate the JABI. In June, Candidates for the name of News letter as well as logo of JABI were solicited in the first issue of the letter. They were decided by the cast ballots of the members. The News Letter is now published quarterly. In July the 1st training workshop was held near Mount Fuji. Since then the workshops have been organized annually throughout the nation. This workshops may offer a good opportunity to foster relationship with members.
1992	In August, the Exhibition of botanical Illustrations by 22 JABI members was held at Flower Plaza in Meijo Park, Nagoya. In Just the 2nd year, the first edition of The Bulletin of JABI "Kusakaya" was issued in December.
1993 - 1995	(C)Yoneda, Miyoko The training work shops were held in Shiga, Mt Aso, and Hokkaido. Assigning tasks of the Secretariat of JABI office were also settled during those days.
1996	1st Exhibition Poster In January, the First series of The Picture cards collection of botanical illustration was published. In September, the First Exhibition of JABI was held. A total number of 60 works were exhibited in Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture. Then we drew up a first list of exhibits.
1997	Exhibition Catalogue The Second Exhibition of JABI entitled "Botanical Eyes" was held in Ube, Yamaguchi in October.
1998	(C)Sedaka, Ikuo In June, the 3rd Exhibition of JABI was held at Ofuna Botanic Garden, Flower Center Kanagawa. 63 members contributed their works to the Exhibition. The 3rd series of the Picture cards collection of botanical illustration "Orchid" was published in November.
1999	The 4th Exhibition of JABI was held as a traveling exhibition at Shoundo Gallery, Yamaguchi-Ube from September 1st to October 30th, and followed at The Gallery of Kawamura Memorial Museum, Sakura, Chiba Prefecture from November 23rd to 28th.
2000	(C)Takahashi, Kazuto To commemorate the 10th anniversary of JABI, Illustrative work for Endangered Plants of Japan was planned. The 6th series of the Picture cards collection of botanical illustration "Endangered Plants of Japan" was published in July. The 5th Traveling Exhibition of JABI was divided into the general category and the planning category. A total number of 90 works were exhibited in four locations including Hokkaido.
2001	(C)Inujima, Yuko The 7th series of the Picture cards collection of botanical illustration "Endangered Plants of Japan, Wetland plants" was published in July. The 6th Traveling Exhibition of JABI was held in four locations in Japan from 2001 through 2002.
2002	The 9th and 10th series of the Picture cards collection of the botanical illustration "Endangered Plants of Japan" were published in October.
2004	"Endangered Plants of Japan: a Florilegium" was published from Aboc Co.
2005	The first and second series of the picture card collection for the Illustration of Naturalized Plants in Japan was published. The traveling Exhibition for "Endangered Plants of Japan: a Fllorilegium" was held in Washington and Chicago, USA.
2006	(C)Akiba, Fukumi Illustration of Naturalized Plants in Japan was newly planned - until 2008.
2007	The Exhibition for "Botanical Illustration of Fruits in Autumn" was held at Orchid Village, Dogashima and 70 works were exhibited as a cooperative project in October.
2008	Exhibition Poster The 11th Traveling Exhibition was held at Ibaraki Museum Park in February, at Flower Park Nagoya in June, and at Sapporo Citizen Hall, Hokkaido in July. The 18th training workshop was held in Hokkaido at the occasion of the Exhibition. The 80th News Letter was published and the 16th edition of the Bulletin of JABI "Kusakaya" was published in June. The Exhibition for Botanical Illustration of Endangered Plants of Japan was held in Chichijima, Ogasawara from August through September. In December, The Exihibition for Botanical Illustration of Naturalized Plants of Japan was held in Higashiyama Botanical Gardens, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture (until 2009 January).
2009	Book Cover Drawings of Alien Plants of Japan : A collection" was published from Aboc Co.
2009-2010	The 12th Traveling Exhibition was held at Gallery Miura, Kobe City, Hyogo from 20th to 25th in October 2009, and Tokiwa Museum Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture from 21st November to 23rd December 2009, at Jindai Syokubustu Botanical Park, Tokyo from 26th January to 31st January 2010. Botanical Illustration of Naturalized Plants Exhibition was held at The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, Kochi City, Kochi from 3rd October 2009 to 11th January 2010, and Parthenon Tama, Tama City, Tokyo from 26th January to 7th March 2010.

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