Conferment Ceremony: Japan’s medal recipient Dr. James Folsom, left, and Japanese consul general Harry Horinouchi. (June 16, 2016. Cultural News Photo)
Dr. James Folsom, director of the botanical garden at the Huntington Library, was selected as a recipient of the Spring 2016 Decoration by Japanese government. On June 16 in Los Angeles, the conferment ceremony to Dr. Folsom was presented by Japanese consul general Harry Horinouchi with invited guests at the official residence of the Consul General of Japan.
Dr. James Folsom Conferment videos
1 Consul General Harry Horinouchi https://youtu.be/Nge3Hj92570
2 Dr. James Folsom https://youtu.be/n0NzC7CwUiw
3 Mr. Don Conlan https://youtu.be/cg-MhGWOqNw
Dr. James P. Folsom, Recipient of Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette
Born in 1950 in Alabama, Folsom received a B.S. in Botany from Auburn University, an M.A. in Biology from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Texas at Austin.
Folsom joined The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in 1984, where he has served as Director of the Botanical Gardens since 1991.
Completed in 1912, The Huntington’s Japanese Garden is among the oldest of its kind in North America. The site is home to the Japanese House dating back to the early 1900s, a wooden moon bridge, the Zen Court, a bamboo grove, a bonsai court as well as a ceremonial teahouse.
When Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan toured the Huntington Library during their U.S. visit in June 1994, Folsom presented them details about the Japanese Garden.
Folsom later oversaw The Huntington Botanical Gardens’ donation of 1,300 “Pink Cloud” cherry trees to public organizations and institutions in Southern California and Arizona.
This coincided with the 2012 Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial, which commemorated the gift of cherry blossom trees in 1912 from Tokyo, Japan to Washington, D.C.