Thanks for all responses. I'm beginning to think that maybe some of the damage is due to a day or two of heavy rains and winds. Even though the tree is under an overhang so did not get direct rain, there was definitely major winds. I should have moved it out of that area. The tree is planted just as it was in it's previous pot from the nursery except for in a larger pot. In terms of leaves slightly curling downwards instead of being flatter, does this usually mean too little water or too much? Or could this all be a reaction to too much daily wind? There is a slight breeze throughout the day, but nothing crazy. there is a lot of pollen from a nearby avocado tree that has collected all over the leaves. If, and this is what I am hoping it is, the damage is from the storm in tandem with the shock of being newly potted, would it be a good idea to prune off the dead leaves and dry twigs that have appeared? a lot of the dead/dying leaves are in clusters underneath other branches of leaves (sort of internal to the structure of the tree's foliage). I checked all the way down into the container to make sure of drainage again, and the soil is barely moist, so I really don't think it's too much water. We do have very alkaline water here in southern California. I was told to use rose or azalea food to help replenish the acidity in the soil, but didn't plan on using that for several months since the tree was just repotted. I'd like to post images of the tree, just need to figure out how!

1. Yes, this is true. It is also true that some red leaved cultivars will 'bronze' out in too much sun. Ideally, you will want to site just about any Japanese maple with morning sun/afternoon shade or filtered or dapped all day shade. All red leaved JM's will develop the best leaf color if they get at least a few hours of direct sunlight. 2. I would trust ONLY plants from known reputable growers and retailers of Japanese maples. And even then, there can be tagging or ID errors. Box stores buy in bulk from whatever vendor offers them the best deals. These are not always the most scrupulous of growers and have been known to sell seedling JM's by cultivar names - a HUGE no-no! Box stores also tend to have only the most common cultivars whereas independent garden centers that specialize in JM's will offer a very wide and high quality selection. It is a bit of a case of you get what you pay for :-)) 3. No. Trunk color has little to nothing to do with foliage color. btw, 'Tamukeyama' IS a cultivar. There is just one with that name and ALL Tamukeyama's should look the same.

Red Dragon holds its red color better than any red dissectum I have seen, but most of the red-leaved Japanese maples will green up if planted in a lot of shade. My Garnet gets similar light conditions to yours, and it's nearly all green by June. However, my Red Dragon gets full sun from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and keeps its deep red color all through the growing season. My Crimson Queen gets sun from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and holds its color nicely as well, but not as much as Red Dragon. You might consider moving your Red Dragon to a spot with more sun if you want to keep the red color, but I would wait until late fall or winter to do that.

Is it possible it dried out a bit before the rain? That could cause the coloring and leaf drop. The dropping could also be due to wind. Other than that, the tree looks fine. Just make sure it gets water as needed (assuming it is planted in a well draining soil). And no need for any additional fertilization.