Discover the joy of the Garden in spring! Many of our flowers are blooming, creating delightful pops of color throughout our landscape.
Of all the many stone lanterns throughout Portland Japanese Garden, none might be as visually arresting as the Sapporo Pagoda Lantern. No matter which way it is approached, through the Wisteria Arbor, the Camellia Tunnel, or along the slope of Cherry Tree Hill, its towering 18 feet draw the eye immediately. Grand and stately, the lantern’s form is that of a goju-no-to, or five-story pagoda.
A look back at the earliest steps taken by Portlanders to establish Portland Japanese Garden.
This article is also available as a pdf. By Will Lerner, Marketing and Communications Manager for Portland Japanese Garden & Japan Institute We may never know who created the first stone lantern or the precise form that it took, but surely it must have been installed where humankind traversed and in a place in want …
There are several elements to the Flat Garden that contribute to its stunning beauty. Among them is the larger of the Flat Garden’s two Japanese maples on its northern side.
When Portland Japanese Garden’s landscape was being planned, its original designer, Takuma Tono, determined that it should feature different garden styles that beckon back to different points in his native country’s history. While it was a departure from the norm, it was a brilliant decision that has helped inform millions of visitors on the nuances of Japanese garden design. That Tono would design the Garden this way comports entirely with a man who was a passionate educator.
The uninterrupted view of Mt. Hood from Portland Japanese Garden’s East Veranda is a beautiful example of shakkei, or “borrowed scenery,” in which a view of a natural landscape is incorporated into a garden’s design. It is reported that when the Garden’s original designer, Professor Takuma Tono of Tokyo Agricultural University, saw Mt. Hood he likened it to one of Japan’s most beloved natural landmarks: Mt. Fuji.
In 1942, Portland Japanese Garden Board Member Dr. Calvin Tanabe and his parents were rounded up by the government along with other Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants living in Oregon. They were forced into Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho, one of ten American concentration camps constructed during World War II. It is his first memory. Tanabe sat down with Garden staff to share his story.
One of the most cherished elements of Portland Japanese Garden is something millions of its visitors have passed through for decades: the Antique Gate. Situated at the start of the hill of the Entry Garden, the Gate is believed to be about 200 years old and is from Sapporo, Portland’s sister city in Japan. Because of the expert care and maintenance it and its surroundings have received, it would be easy to believe that the Antique Gate has been in its location since time immemorial. However, its installation came nearly 10 years after Portland Japanese Garden opened to the public and only after original plans for it stalled.
Unlike many Japanese gardens around the world that depict one style, the unique collection of five different styles at Portland Japanese Garden required early Garden leaders to motor to locations near and far across the Beaver State to find the right materials.