FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Two bonsai trees worth thousands of dollars that were stolen from the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way have made their way back home.
The Pacific Bonsai Museum said the trees were “mysteriously” and “miraculously” returned to the museum. Security guards found the trees sitting on the road leading up to the museum Tuesday around 11 p.m., the museum said in a Facebook post.
The two trees, a Japanese Black Pine and a Silverberry Bonsai, were stolen from the museum's public exhibition space Sunday morning. Surveillance video shows two shadowy figures walking through the museum before it opened on Sunday. Assistant Curator Scarlet Gore said the suspects kicked in a gate and took the trees.
Museum Curator Aarin Packard said the two trees, which are more than 70 years old, are in good shape.
“The Silverberry suffered some damage. It has some broken branches, probably due to improper transportation and handling,” said Packard. “Both bonsai trees and their pots appear to be intact, which means they can return to being on public display.”
The Pacific Bonsai Museum said the two trees will be back on display by noon on Wednesday.
The Japanese Black Pine was grown from a seed in a tin can by Japanese-American Juzaburo Furuzawa while incarcerated during World War II. The museum said the tree will resume its position as the centerpiece of an upcoming special exhibition opening May 8 called: World War Bonsai: Remembrance & Resilience.
The Silverberry Bonsai was cultivated by a female bonsai artist, Kiyoko Hatanaka, a rarity in the 1940s.
This is the second theft at the museum since 2015. In May 2015, someone stole a juniper bonsai. The tree was returned two days later, but it had been repotted, and its branches had been severely shorn.
The museum said some community members have pledged their support so it could purchase security upgrades. Click here if you would like to donate.
