The entrance to Washington Park off SW Tichner Dr. / West Burnside is closed due to a landslide. Please use SW Vista Ave. to SW Park Place. We will honor your ticket despite potential delays.
On May 31, Portland Japanese Garden partnered with Chamber Music Northwest to host the West Coast premiere performance of Lost Freedom: A Memory. Inspired by autobiographical accounts of the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens in World War II, the event weaved together music and spoken word in a profound exploration of a chilling time in American history. It …
On June 6, Hugo Torii, Garden Curator of Portland Japanese Garden and Director of Japan Institute’s Japanese Garden Training Center, was formally knighted as part of the 2025 Honorary Knighting Ceremony and Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation. It was part of a more than 100-year-old Portland tradition organized by the Royal Rosarians, a group that “are …
Special Visit Precedes the Tenth Anniversary of Return of Torii Gate Beams On May 21, Portland Japanese Garden welcomed 13 students representing 13 different junior highs in the City of Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. While Hachinohe, nationally renowned for its fishing industry and manufacturing sector, is sister cities with Federal Way, Washington, a special bond exists …
Here is a quick guide to some of the springtime flowers you can expect to see over the next few weeks at Portland Japanese Garden.
Catch up on some of the maintenance that has been going on at Portland Japanese Garden this spring.
Spring is a time of magical transformation at Portland Japanese Garden. Warmer temperatures begin to populate our weather forecasts, flowers like azaleas and rhododendrons bloom, and the lush greens of our pines are joined by moegi-iro, a Japanese word for the fresh glowy energy of new leaf green. The soft beauty of spring can feel …
The appeal of Portland Japanese Garden for kids isn’t just something that we have witnessed, it’s something many of our staff know firsthand! We chatted with some of the moms and dads on our team to learn why they enjoy bringing their kids to the Garden.
Portland Japanese Garden is excited to introduce the Sakura Society, which welcomes emerging leaders from the ages of 21 to 45 to become patrons of the organization. The Sakura Society offers a deeper connection to the Garden and its mission of Inspiring Harmony and Peace through access to tailored opportunities to engage with garden, art, and cultural experts. Additionally, these patrons will get to connect and network at special events with like-minded peers who are passionate about finding peace, harmony, and beauty through nature.
Saka’s Pond is a beautiful space with flowers that radiate pink in springtime, a pleasant waterfall, and dynamic stonework laid by Sakakibara. Below it is an area that has been sometimes referred to as “Saka’s Reservoir,” a continuation of the pond that was designed and constructed by former Garden Directors Takao Donuma (1985-87) and Toru Tanaka (1988-91). Unfortunately, because it was built on the edge of a slope, issues arose. Due to its placement, its foundation had been undermined and was subsequently seeing a loss of water. The leaks, in turn, were further undermining the foundation and causing the slope to erode even more. Altogether, the eroding slope, faulty foundation, and loss of water meant repairs were in order.