In honor of koi, we here take a look at their history at Portland Japanese Garden, their cultural significance in Japan, and answer some of the biggest questions asked about the beloved creatures themselves.

Of the more formalized approaches to leveraging the special qualities of nature, forest bathing, or as it was first coined in Japanese, shinrin yoku, has started to grow momentum in the American cultural zeitgeist.

Portland Japanese Garden has always simultaneously been, outside of Japan, a place of unparalleled Japanese landscape art and North America’s foremost Japanese cultural organization. Just as the Umami Café offers guests the rare opportunity to enjoy world-class green tea direct from the acclaimed 160-year-old Jugetsudo tea company or how our exhibitions showcase some of the finest traditional and contemporary Japanese artists, the organization is always seeking to broaden understanding of the many fascinating qualities of Japan. In July, the organization turned its attention to one such item: whisky.

Experience a year of Japanese celebrations with the Garden’s annual cultural festivals. Details for each event as well as registration information will be available closer to each event date and announced in our weekly newsletter.