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Portland Japanese Garden and Japan Institute Name New Co-CEOs

Lisa Christy and Aki Nakanishi Bring Decades of Expertise into Joint Leadership of Beloved Non-Profit Organization Portland, ORE., United States—January 16 2026—Lisa Christy, Executive Director of Portland Japanese Garden, and Aki Nakanishi, Director of Japan Institute and the Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art, and Education for Portland Japanese Garden have been named Co-CEOs of

General

Offering a Place of Healing When It’s Needed Most

At the beginning of 2026, and after a series of events that had created a sense of unease in its home city, Portland Japanese Garden made the decision to offer free admission from 1:30 to 3:30pm on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10 with the hopes that it might help bring calm and compassion to its community. We chatted with some of the people who were visiting us during this time to learn why they honored us with their presence.

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Garden Updates

2025 In Review: By the Numbers

2025 was an exciting and memorable year for Portland Japanese Garden! We embarked on a diverse range of incredible programming, welcomed some of the world’s most respected leaders across a variety of fields to Portland, and enjoyed the everlasting beauty and serenity of the Garden itself. The numbers that follow capture just a glimpse of the impact these experiences had on our community and beyond.

Garden Updates

2025 in Review: Month by Month

2025 was an exciting and memorable year for Portland Japanese Garden! The Garden embarked on a diverse range of incredible programming, welcomed some of the world’s most respected leaders across a variety of fields to Portland, and enjoyed the everlasting beauty and serenity of the Garden itself. Let’s take a look back at all that happened in 2025 at Portland Japanese Garden.

Garden Updates

2025 in Review: Media Coverage of Portland Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden is thrilled to have been featured in several publications, radio broadcasts, and television reports throughout 2025. These stories highlighted the Garden’s everlasting beauty, world class programming, and the incredible staff, volunteers, members, and guests who bring it to life. To close out the year, we are proud to share our best media coverage of 2025