In August, retired U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, his wife Ruth Harkin, former county attorney and author, and his sister-in-law Jean Harkin, also an author, visited Portland Japanese Garden for a tour of the landscape and to reconnect with Aki Nakanishi, Director of the Japan Institute and Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art, and Education.
Senator Harkin, who retired from the Senate in 2015 after more than three decades of representing Iowa in Congress, has long held a deep interest in Japan, first cultivated during his service as a U.S. Navy official stationed there. His legacy is most widely recognized through his authorship of the landmark 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability and has become a model worldwide. His leadership influenced how the Japanese government shaped its own first Disabilities Act nearly 25 years later.
Today, his advocacy continues through The Harkin Institute, a non-partisan center at Drake University in Des Moines. The Institute advances inclusive, evidence-based public policy with a focus on disability rights, retirement security, wellness, and nutrition. By connecting research, civic learning, and diverse lived experiences, the Institute empowers robust civic engagement in service of the public good.
“It was truly an honor to welcome Senator Harkin, Mrs. Ruth Harkin, and Mrs. Jean Harkin here at the Garden,” said Nakanishi. “I first met the Senator while serving in Tokyo as an aide to Ambassador Caroline Kennedy. During this visit, he reflected on his work on the ADA and shared invaluable insights into how Japan might strengthen its own protections. The Harkins’ compassion and commitment to inclusivity mirror the core aspirations of Portland Japanese Garden and Japan Institute: to be organizations open and accessible to all. I look forward to exploring potential collaboration with The Harkin Institute, particularly in the area of health care and the mental health benefits of Japanese gardens for well-being.”