Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
The Yamato-kan, a Japanese style house in the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Established	1977
Location	4000 Morikami Park Road Delray Beach, FL 33446 (United States)
Type	Art center, Art museum, Gardens

Bonsai Garden in the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a special place. It teaches about Japanese art and culture. You can find it in Delray Beach, Florida, in the United States.

The museum has two main buildings. It also has beautiful Roji-en Japanese Gardens. There's a bonsai garden, a library, and a gift shop. You can even eat at the Cornell Cafe, which serves Japanese food. They show different exhibits all the time. You can also watch cool demonstrations. These include tea ceremonies and fun classes. Traditional Japanese festivals are celebrated here often.

The park and museum are named after George Morikami. He was from Miyazu, Japan. George Morikami gave his farm to Palm Beach County. He wanted it to be used as a park. He was the only person from the Yamato Colony, Florida to stay in Delray Beach. This was after World War II.

The museum first opened in 1977. That building is now called the Yamato-kan. The main museum building opened later in 1993. The Roji-en gardens started being built in 1993. The whole Morikami Park is about 188.5 acres. It has picnic areas and a playground. There are also memorials for astronauts and pioneers.

Fun Japanese Festivals
- New Year's and Spring Fairs
- Lantern Festival
Inside the Museum Buildings
Exploring the Gardens
Gallery
See also

Fun Japanese Festivals

The Morikami Museum and Gardens host many Japanese festivals. These events happen every year. They are a great way to learn about Japanese culture.

New Year's and Spring Fairs

One festival is Oshogatsu, which is the Japanese New Year. It happens in January. Another is the Hatsume Fair Festival in April. These festivals bring visitors from all over Florida. They feature tasty food and art vendors.

Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival is in October. It is based on the Japanese Obon festival. This festival has drum performances. There is also an interactive dance routine. After sunset, visitors release lanterns into the central lake. It is a beautiful sight.

Inside the Museum Buildings

The Morikami Museum has two main buildings. Each one offers something unique.

The Yamato-kan Building

The first museum building is called the Yamato-kan. It looks like a Japanese villa. It has a special dry landscape garden. There is also a permanent exhibit. It tells the story of the Yamato Colony in Boca Raton. Kids can enjoy a hands-on exhibit. It is called "Japan Through the Eyes of a Child."

The Main Museum Building

The main museum building has three exhibits. It also has a theater with 225 seats. You can find a tea house and classrooms here. There is a research library and a store. The Cornell Cafe is also in this building. The museum has over 7,000 artifacts in its collection. These are all part of Japanese culture.

Special Art Exhibits

From May to August 2024, the museum will show a special exhibit. It is called The Hapa Project. This exhibit is by Kip Fulbeck.

Exploring the Gardens

The Roji-en Japanese Gardens were made to go with the museum. They are inspired by famous garden styles from Japan's history. Hoichi Kurisu designed them. They were finished in 2001.

Six Historical Garden Styles

The Roji-en gardens show six different historical styles. These are:

Shinden Garden
Paradise Garden
Early Rock Garden
Karesansui Garden
Hiraniwa Garden
Modern Romantic Garden

Ancient Garden Designs

The Shinden Garden is from the Heian period (9th–12th centuries). Japanese nobles used Chinese garden designs then. These gardens had lakes and islands. People usually viewed them from a boat.

The Paradise Garden is from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. These gardens were like temples to the Buddha. They showed what Buddhist Heaven might look like.

The Early Rock Garden is also from the Muromachi period. These gardens were influenced by Chinese art. They also showed early ideas of Zen.

Zen and Dry Gardens

The Muromachi period Karesansui gardens are true Zen style. You were not meant to walk through these gardens. Instead, you viewed them from temples. You would reflect on them quietly. These "dry landscape" gardens had almost no plants. They used rocks and gravel instead.

Flat and Modern Gardens

The Edo period was known for the Hiraniwa Flat Garden style. These gardens mixed late rock gardens and tea gardens. They are known for special accents. These include pagodas, lanterns, and stepping stones.

The last historical garden is the Modern Romantic Garden. This style started during the Meiji period. It was influenced by nature and Western ideas.