Portland Japanese Garden
Encyclopedia
The Portland Japanese Garden is a traditional Japanese garden
occupying 5.5 acres (22,000 m²), located within Washington Park in the west hills
of Portland, Oregon
, USA
.
Three of the essential elements used to create a Japanese garden are stone, the “bones” of the landscape; water, the life-giving force; and plants, the tapestry of the four seasons. Japanese garden designers feel that good stone composition is one of the most important elements in creating a well-designed garden. Secondary elements include pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges. Japanese gardens are asymmetrical in design and reflect nature in idealized form. Traditionally, human scale is maintained throughout so that one always feels part of the environment, not overpowered by it. As Professor Tono wanted to incorporate native trees in the Portland Japanese Garden so that it would blend naturally with its environment, some of the plantings at the Garden are on a larger scale.
The Garden Pavilion was built in 1980 in Japanese style by local builders: it has a tiled roof, wooden verandas, and Shōji
sliding doors. It is the center of several Japanese cultural festivals, art exhibitions, and other events. The west veranda faces the Flat Garden, and the east veranda overlooks downtown Portland and Mount Hood
, which resembles Mount Fuji
. Dozens of authentic stone lanterns are present throughout the garden. The lower entrance features a 100-year-old authentic temple gate, a 1976 gift of the Japanese Ancestral Society of Oregon.
Garden guides receive eight weeks of training, including the history and symbolism of the garden.
In a study conducted in 2004 by the Journal of Japanese Gardening, it was ranked a very close second place out of 300 public Japanese gardens outside of Japan for highest quality. The Japanese ambassador to the U.S., Nobuo Matsunaga, said "I believe this garden to be the most authentic Japanese garden, including those in Japan." This is notable because a traditional Japanese garden normally takes hundreds of years to evolve and mature, but the Portland Japanese Garden evolved much more quickly—a fusion of hurried western style and stately eastern expression.
The last construction occurred in 1994 when the gift shop was built.
. Parking can be scarce on sunny days, but TriMet
line 63 stops nearby, as does the Washington Park Shuttle.
The Portland Japanese Garden is across from the tennis courts. Also, the Washington Park and Zoo Railroad
has a station by the rose garden. During the summer, it connects to the Oregon Zoo
, World Forestry Center
, MAX
, Portland Children's Museum
, Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial
and Hoyt Arboretum
.
After a short ascent up the hillside one reaches the admissions gate. The Japanese Garden provides a shuttle from the parking lot for easier access to the gate. Handicap parking is also available at the top.
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
occupying 5.5 acres (22,000 m²), located within Washington Park in the west hills
Tualatin Mountains
The Tualatin Mountains are a range of hills on the western border of Multnomah County, Oregon, United States...
of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Design
The 5.5 acre Portland Japanese Garden is composed of five distinct garden styles. When entering a Japanese garden, the desired effect is to realize a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility and to experience the feeling of being a part of nature. In a deep sense, a Japanese garden is a living reflection of the long history and traditional culture of Japan. Influenced by Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies, there is always “something more” in these compositions of stone, water, and plants than meets the eye.Three of the essential elements used to create a Japanese garden are stone, the “bones” of the landscape; water, the life-giving force; and plants, the tapestry of the four seasons. Japanese garden designers feel that good stone composition is one of the most important elements in creating a well-designed garden. Secondary elements include pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges. Japanese gardens are asymmetrical in design and reflect nature in idealized form. Traditionally, human scale is maintained throughout so that one always feels part of the environment, not overpowered by it. As Professor Tono wanted to incorporate native trees in the Portland Japanese Garden so that it would blend naturally with its environment, some of the plantings at the Garden are on a larger scale.
Features
The garden has five major sub-gardens, each a different degree of formality:- The Strolling Pond Garden is the largest and contains multiple areas. In one, rocks built into the path are arranged as the Big DipperBig DipperThe Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
constellation. There is a 100 year-old five-tiered pagoda lantern, a gift from Portland's sister city of SapporoSapporo, Hokkaidois the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....
with ornamental rocks forming the shape of HokkaidōHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
island and a red stone for Sapporo. Several ornate or whimsical bridges cross the creeks between ponds. There is also a handmade moon bridgeMoon bridgeA moon bridge is a highly arched pedestrian bridge, which in its wooden form may require the walker to initially climb and also when descending. This type is associated with gardens in China and Japan...
. - The Natural Garden has multiple ponds, waterfalls, and streams. Trees, shrubs, ferns, and mosses grow in their natural state.
- The Sand and Stone Garden contains weathered stones rising from rippled sand suggestive of the ocean. The tranquil rake patterns are often present in karesansui (Japanese rock gardens).
- The Flat Garden is typical of urban garden design, but here it contrasts with the park's folds and contours. Raked white sand represents water and vividly contrasts with lawn, moss, evergreens, and azaleas.
- The Tea Garden has two areas, each devoted to enhancing the tea ceremonyJapanese tea ceremonyThe Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
: an outer waiting area and an inner garden surrounding the authentic tea house, constructed in Japan by Kajima Construction Company and assembled onsite in 1968.
The Garden Pavilion was built in 1980 in Japanese style by local builders: it has a tiled roof, wooden verandas, and Shōji
Shoji
In traditional Japanese architecture, a shōji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo...
sliding doors. It is the center of several Japanese cultural festivals, art exhibitions, and other events. The west veranda faces the Flat Garden, and the east veranda overlooks downtown Portland and Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, which resembles Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
. Dozens of authentic stone lanterns are present throughout the garden. The lower entrance features a 100-year-old authentic temple gate, a 1976 gift of the Japanese Ancestral Society of Oregon.
Garden guides receive eight weeks of training, including the history and symbolism of the garden.
History and awards
The garden was designed by Professor Takuma Tono, one of the most important Japanese landscape architects of his time. The garden was dedicated and design began in 1963, though the garden opened to the public in 1967.In a study conducted in 2004 by the Journal of Japanese Gardening, it was ranked a very close second place out of 300 public Japanese gardens outside of Japan for highest quality. The Japanese ambassador to the U.S., Nobuo Matsunaga, said "I believe this garden to be the most authentic Japanese garden, including those in Japan." This is notable because a traditional Japanese garden normally takes hundreds of years to evolve and mature, but the Portland Japanese Garden evolved much more quickly—a fusion of hurried western style and stately eastern expression.
Expansion
The garden adopted a plan on January 7, 2011, for garden expansion. Plans include a new lower garden with a new admissions gate. A new garden will also be built in the place of the old admissions gate.The last construction occurred in 1994 when the gift shop was built.
Logistics
The Japanese Garden is close to Washington Park's main entrance, at the top of Park Place, just above and a short walk of the International Rose Test GardenInternational Rose Test Garden
The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather...
. Parking can be scarce on sunny days, but TriMet
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
line 63 stops nearby, as does the Washington Park Shuttle.
The Portland Japanese Garden is across from the tennis courts. Also, the Washington Park and Zoo Railroad
Washington Park and Zoo Railroad
The Washington Park and Zoo Railway is a narrow-gauge recreational railroad in Portland, Oregon's Washington Park. It has a track gauge of and rolling stock built to 5/8 scale. Opened in three stages in 1958, 1959 and 1960, it provides transportation between the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum,...
has a station by the rose garden. During the summer, it connects to the Oregon Zoo
Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo, formerly the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo in Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located southwest of Downtown Portland, the zoo is inside Portland's Washington Park, and includes a narrow-gauge railway that connects to the International Rose Test Garden inside...
, World Forestry Center
World Forestry Center
The World Forestry Center is an American nonprofit educational institution in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located near the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park, the center was established in 1964 as the Western Forestry Center.-History:...
, MAX
Metropolitan Area Express (Portland, Oregon)
Metropolitan Area Express is a light rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is operated by TriMet and currently has four lines: Blue, Green, Red and Yellow, with an Orange line currently under construction....
, Portland Children's Museum
Portland Children's Museum
Portland Children's Museum is a children's museum located in Portland's Washington Park, adjacent to the Oregon Zoo. Founded in 1946, Portland Children's Museum is the sixth oldest children's museum in the world and the oldest West of the Mississippi. The museum receives over a quarter of a...
, Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a 3.25 acre outdoor memorial dedicated to Oregonians who served in the Vietnam War. It is located in Portland, Oregon's Washington Park at . The memorial was dedicated in 1987, inspired in 1982 by visits to the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial by five...
and Hoyt Arboretum
Hoyt Arboretum
The Hoyt Arboretum is located atop a ridge in the west hills of Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1922 by a collection of timber industry representatives, the U.S...
.
After a short ascent up the hillside one reaches the admissions gate. The Japanese Garden provides a shuttle from the parking lot for easier access to the gate. Handicap parking is also available at the top.
See also
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
- Portland Classical Chinese Garden