The Portland Japanese Garden has long been a place of refuge and respite. Through the cultivation and preservation of nature, the Garden is a place to remember the importance of taking that moment of pause to see the beauty of the combined elements of stone, water, and plants, and hear the song and silence of the natural world.
The Garden also serves as a reminder of the ongoing cycle of all things; the seasonal changes of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. And then there are the changes that come with time: the reshaping of a tree, the introduction of new life, the improvements in structure, the replacement of the worn. The Garden is life in endless transformation. Change is very much a part of the world we live in.
The Garden is a living, breathing entity, and getting to know it, becoming familiar with it, is a long and tender process. The rewards of developing this relationship are great. Each of the five gardens offers something meaningful to those who take the time to sit and visit. Whether it’s the cleansing sound of water or the quiet, graceful movement of the koi, or the majestic strength of the pines, the Garden will speak to you if you are willing to stop and listen. The Garden is a friend who is always there to comfort with its silence and to soothe with its beauty—a place to calm the inner storms and serve as a haven to those in search of a moment of peace.
