
Garden History
Representation Matters: Mari Watanabe, Board Trustee, on Making History by Becoming First Japanese American Woman to Join Oregon Legislature
On January 19, 2025, history was made at Portland Japanese Garden when Oregon State Representative Mari Watanabe was sworn in by Justice Aruna Masih of the Oregon Supreme Court to fill a vacant seat for House District 34. Watanabe, who has served on the Garden’s Board of Trustees since May 2024, is the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants and has been a Portland resident since 2000.