In honor of Koichi and Mihoko Nezu, the original entry gate to our historic gardens will receive an official name in 2020. The “Nezu Gate” will attain a specially commissioned plaque made by the most prominent carpentry firm in Kyoto, Nakamura Sotoji Komuten, with Shoko Kanazawa’s skilled rendering of the gate’s Japanese title, Nezu Gate (Nezumon, 根津門).

This life-giving occasion of an otherwise inanimate object commemorates the indelible impact of the Nezu family to Portland Japanese Garden. Their strong emotional connection to the Garden and to Portland dates back 100 years when Japanese delegation, led by Koichi’s grandfather, Kaichiro, visited the city for World’s Fair in 1905.