Portland Japanese Garden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portland Japanese Garden |
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| Type | Japanese garden |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Area | 12.5 acres (5.1 ha) |
| Visitors | 400,000 (in 2024) |
| Status | Open to the public |
| Collections | Strolling Pond Garden Natural Garden Sand and Stone Garden Flat Garden Tea Garden Entry Garden Bonsai Terrace Tsubo-Niwa |
| Website | japanesegarden.com |
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The Portland Japanese Garden is a special place in Portland, Oregon. It is a beautiful Japanese garden that opened in 1967. The garden covers 12.5 acres (about 5 hectares) in Portland’s Washington Park. It is also right next to the International Rose Test Garden.
A famous designer named Professor Takuma Tono from Tokyo Agricultural University created the garden. It has five main garden areas that show different styles of Japanese landscape design. There is also a Pavilion for art shows and shops. You can find a Japanese tea house and a "Cultural Village" with more activities, food, and stores. Over 400,000 people visit the garden each year. Many people say it is the "most beautiful and real Japanese garden outside of Japan."
Contents
Garden History
The Portland Japanese Garden officially started in 1963. It was first called the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon. In 2023, the garden celebrated its 60th anniversary!
Early Beginnings
After World War II, people in Portland wanted to become friends with Japan again. In 1959, Portland and Sapporo, Japan, became sister cities. This meant they would work together to build friendship. Building Japanese "friendship gardens" was a popular way to do this across the United States.
People in Portland had wanted a Japanese garden since the 1950s. The idea grew stronger in 1959. A group called the Japan Society of Oregon formed a committee to plan it. In 1961, they suggested creating a non-profit group. This group would raise money for a Japanese garden. It would be built where the old Portland Zoo used to be in Washington Park. The City of Portland agreed to let them use the land for 99 years. In 1962, a special commission was set up. This group later became the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon. Their first meeting was in 1963.
The 1960s
In 1963, Professor Takuma Tono was hired to design the Portland Japanese Garden. He was known for building a copy of Japan’s Ryoanji Garden in Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Instead of one big garden, he suggested creating four different areas. Each area would show a different style of Japanese garden design. These included a Flat Garden, a Strolling Pond Garden, a Dry Gravel Garden, and a Tea Garden.
In 1964, Kinya Hira became the garden's first director. He was a student of Professor Tono. Since then, Japanese gardening experts have always overseen the garden's design and care.
The garden took about four years to build. It opened to the public in 1967. Over 28,000 people visited that first year. More things were added after it opened. In 1968, the garden's tea house, called Kashintei, was built in Japan. It was then taken apart, shipped to Oregon, and put back together in the Tea Garden.
The 1970s
More changes were made to the garden in the 1970s. A Moss Garden was replaced with a Natural Garden. This style is called zoki no niwa. A gate, known as the "Antique Gate," was also added. This decade also saw the arrival of the garden's first koi fish. The garden also started its yearly O-Bon festival.
In 1978, Japan's Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda visited. He was "surprised and impressed" by the garden's size and beauty.
The 1980s
In 1980, the garden opened its Pavilion building. This building was part of the first plans but was delayed. A special ceremony was held on May 18. This was the same day Mount St. Helens erupted nearby.
In 1981, the garden stayed open during the winter for the first time. It has been open all winter ever since.
In 1988, Nobuo Matsunaga, Japan's Ambassador to the United States, visited. He called the garden "the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan." He also said it was a "unique treasure."
The 1990s
In the 1990s, an old building from the Portland Zoo was taken down. A new building was put in its place. This became the garden's first Gift Shop. It is now the Membership Center.
In 1996, a Japanese water harp was added near the Pavilion. This happened during a meeting for Japanese gardens held in Portland.
The 2000s
In 2005, Steve Bloom became the garden's Executive Director. He led the organization for 20 years.
In 2008, the garden started having regular art shows. These shows feature traditional and modern Japanese art. The first show was called The Quiet Voice of Metal & Stone.
The 2010s
In 2010, all of the garden's past directors came back for a reunion. They were all Japanese-born gardening experts.
Kengo Kuma, a famous architect, was hired to expand the garden. This led to the opening of the Cultural Village in 2017. This area has a small art gallery, a café, a gift shop, classrooms, and offices.
In 2015, the garden helped return parts of a Japanese shrine gate to Hachinohe, Japan. These parts had washed up on Oregon's shores after a tsunami in Japan in 2011.
The 2020s
In 2020, the garden announced a new partner group called Japan Institute. This group works to share Japanese culture around the world. They have held events in Tokyo, London, New York, and other cities. They have also given stone lanterns to cities like Tokyo and Brooklyn.
Garden Areas
The Portland Japanese Garden first opened in 1967 with 5.5 acres (about 2.24 hectares). It grew to its current size of 12.5 acres (about 5.06 hectares) in 2017.
The garden is sometimes called a "museum of gardens." This is because its five main areas each show a different style or time period of Japanese landscape design.
Flat Garden
The Flat Garden (hira niwa) is a type of dry landscape garden. It uses flat ground, stones, trimmed bushes, and trees to create a feeling of depth. You are meant to view this garden from one spot. This is usually from inside the Pavilion building or its porch.
The Pavilion has been next to the Flat Garden since 1980. From its east side, you can see the City of Portland and Mount Hood in the distance. The Flat Garden also has a special stone called the "Iyo Stone."
Natural Garden
The Natural Garden is an example of the zoki no niwa style. This design became popular in the mid-1900s. It replaced the old Moss Garden in the 1970s. This garden looks more like a forest than the other areas. It uses plants that are not as carefully trimmed. It has steps, small water areas, and a small resting spot called a machiai.
Sand and Stone Garden
The Sand and Stone Garden is a karesansui, or dry landscape, garden. It has raked gravel partly surrounded by stucco walls. On the gravel are six medium-sized stones and one tall stone. Professor Tono, the garden's original designer, said this space can be seen in many ways. He suggested it could show a story about Buddha and seven tigers.
Strolling Pond Garden
The Strolling Pond Garden shows the chisen kaiyu shiki teien style. It is the largest garden area. It has two ponds, a waterfall, a moon bridge, a zig-zag bridge (yatsuhashi), and cherry trees on a hillside. It also has several stone lanterns. This style of garden was popular with rich people and feudal lords in Japan's Edo period. Some important parts of this garden include:
- The Heavenly Falls is a 35-foot-tall waterfall. It flows into a large pond filled with koi fish. This area used to be a bear cave when the Portland Zoo was here. It was fixed in 1997.
- The Koto-Ji Lantern was a gift from the City of Kanazawa. It is a copy of a famous lantern in Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s most well-known gardens.
- The Peace Lantern is a small stone lantern. It was given by the Mayor of Yokohama in the 1950s. It was first in Portland’s International Rose Test Garden. It moved to the Japanese garden in the 1960s. It has the words "Casting the Light of Everlasting Peace" written on it.
- The Sapporo Pagoda Lantern was a gift from the City of Sapporo to Portland. It was first shown at the Portland Art Museum. This was while the garden got ready to hold its weight.
- “The” Tree is a Japanese maple tree. It became famous after being in a National Geographic photo contest. In the fall, when its leaves change color, photographers come from all over the world to see it.
Tea Garden
The Tea Garden is in the roji style. This design became popular in the Momoyama and Edo periods. It has a path of stepping stones that leads to a tea house. The tea house is named Kashintei ("Flower-Heart Room"). It was built in Japan in 1962. Then it was taken apart, shipped to Oregon, and put back together in the Portland Japanese Garden in 1968.
Cultural Village
In 2017, the Portland Japanese Garden opened its new Cultural Village. This area has buildings and outdoor spaces. It was designed by architect Kengo Kuma.
Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center
This is the biggest building in the Cultural Village. It has several different areas:
- The Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gallery is a small space for art shows. It displays both traditional and modern Japanese art.
- The Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner is a place for different demonstrations and performances. These include Japanese gardening arts, tea ceremonies, and music. Visitors sit in the Jan Miller Living Room, which has staircase seating.
- The Gift Shop moved here in 2017. It sells many items, including some from Japan.
- The Vollum Library has over 3,000 books. These books are about Japanese gardens, art, and culture. In the middle of the library is a table made by George Nakashima.
- The Yanai Family Classroom is used for classes, workshops, and events.
The Ron and Jenny Herman Garden House
The Ron and Jenny Herman Garden House has the Family Studio. This space offers fun activities for children and their parents. The rest of the building is mostly offices.
Umami Café
The Umami Café hangs over a hillside. It serves green teas and small snacks. These include Japanese sweets and savory items like miso soup.
Ellie M. Hill Bonsai Terrace
This area is open all year. From mid-spring to fall, it shows a changing collection of bonsai trees on loan.
Jubitz Oregon Terrace
You can reach the Jubitz Oregon Terrace from the second floor of the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. It has a water feature and bonsai trees from mid-spring to fall.
Tsubo-Niwa
The tsubo-niwa is the smallest garden area. It is a small courtyard garden. It has a Japanese maple tree surrounded by moss.
Entry Garden
The Entry Garden is the first area guests walk through after buying tickets. It is designed to be beautiful. It also helps slow down water flowing down the hillside. This is important because of the granite courtyard and buildings on the hilltop.
Activities and Programs
The Portland Japanese Garden also offers many fun activities and programs. These include:
- Art Exhibitions in its galleries. They show traditional and modern Japanese art and design.
- Botanical Exhibitions of Japanese arts like ikebana (flower arranging) and bonsai.
- Classes and Workshops on things like Japanese stitching, ikebana, kintsugi (repairing pottery with gold), tree pruning, and building bamboo fences.
- Cultural Festivals celebrating important Japanese holidays. These include O-Shogatsu (Japanese New Year), Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day), Tanabata (Star Festival), O-Bon (Spirit Festival), and Bon-Odori (Summer Festival).
- Demonstrations and Performances of cultural arts. These include bonsai, ikebana, tea ceremony, koto music, and shamisen.
- Lectures on Japanese topics like nature, art, culture, and history.
- Tours of the garden. Some are just for members. There are also tours for people who use ASL and mindfulness tours.
Japan Institute
The Japan Institute started in 2020. It is the part of Portland Japanese Garden that creates global cultural programs. It has done many things, such as:
- Global Peace Symposia in cities like Tokyo, London, and New York. These events have talks, poetry, and discussions about nature, art, and culture.
- Artist Residencies where Japanese artists stay in Portland. They create art for shows at the garden.
- Japanese Garden Seminars and workshops through the Japanese Garden Training Center. This center teaches traditional and modern gardening methods.
Memberships and Volunteering
In 2025, a basic membership to the Portland Japanese Garden costs $70 per year. There are also other membership levels with more benefits. All members can enter the garden early each day it is open, from 8-10 am. The garden also offers a "Moon Bridge Membership" for $20 per year. This is for families in Oregon and Southwest Washington who receive public assistance.
You can also volunteer at the garden in many ways:
- Bonsai Docents are at the Bonsai Terrace. They share information about the bonsai trees.
- Cultural Village Hosts greet people in the Cultural Village. They help visitors learn about the space and daily events.
- Exhibition Docents work in the Pavilion Gallery. They teach visitors about the art shows.
- Event Volunteers help with bigger events like festivals.
- Garden Ambassadors share information about the garden's history and design. They also help visitors find their way around.
- Horticulture Support Volunteers work with the gardeners. They help care for the grounds by weeding, raking, and cleaning.
- Office Volunteers help with office tasks. This includes preparing mail and gift bags.
- Tour Guides lead tours for the public, private groups, and schools. They share details about the garden's history and design.
- Welcome Center Greeters talk to guests waiting in line. They help make sure visitors have a great experience.
See also
In Spanish: Jardín japonés de Portland para niños
- Ainu and Native American power boards
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- Portland Classical Chinese Garden
