Press Releases

Gold Leaf and Bright Colors Featured Among Hard-to-Find Japanese Wares Available at Portland Japanese Garden’s Behind the Shoji Summer Marketplace

Behind the Shoji, opening Saturday, 6/29 and running through Monday, 9/2 in Portland Japanese Garden’s Pavilion Gallery, is one of the Garden’s most beloved summer traditions. An annual show and sale of Japanese and Japanese-inspired wares, visitors can peruse and purchase from a variety of curated items often unavailable short of a visit to Japan itself. What makes this elevated and distinctive shopping experience stand out is the level of care and the miles traveled that go into determining which items will be available.

Make a gift

Culture, Art, & Education Art Exhibitions

Subtle Expressions of Culture: Peter and Beverly Sinton Discuss Donation of Japanese Textiles to Portland Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden is excited to showcase the art of gift-giving through the exhibition Painting with Thread: The Art and Culture of Fukusa, featured in the Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gallery from June 22 through September 16. Fukusa are ornate works of Japanese silk that were traditionally used in formal gift-giving rituals amongst prominent families in Japan starting around 350 years ago during the Edo period (1603-1868). The fukusa (gift covers) featured in the exhibition were generously donated along with a collection of uchishiki (decorated altar cloths) to the organization by San Francisco residents Peter and Beverly Sinton, longtime fans and collectors of Japanese textiles. This exhibition marks the first time the nuanced artistry of fukusa has been displayed in Portland Japanese Garden.