…Continued from International Rose Test Garden.
Portland Japanese Garden Entrance on February 15, 2010
Just up the hillside from the International Rose Test Garden is the Portland Japanese Garden. After Portland became a sister city to Sapporo, Japan in 1958, the mayor and several business leaders decided Portland should have an authentic, traditional Japanese garden. On June 4, 1962, the city council created a commission to establish the garden on land that was part of the old Washington Park Zoo and Japanese Garden Society of Oregon was formed in 1963 . Professor Takuma Tono, head of the Landscape Architecture Department of Tokyo Agricultural University and an internationally-recognized Japanese landscape architect, was commissioned to design the garden in 1963. The 5.5-acre garden opened to the public in the summer of 1967, and consists of five distinct garden styles: the Flat Garden, the Stroll Garden, the Tea Garden, the Natural Garden (then the Hillside Garden) and the Sand and Stone Garden. In 1988, His Excellency Nobuo Matsunaga, Ambassador from Japan to the United States, visited the Portland Japanese Garden and proclaimed it "the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan." Ten years later, His Excellency Ambassador Kunihiko Saito said of the garden, "I believe this garden to be the most authentic Japanese garden, including those in Japan."
The Strolling Pond Garden & The Tea Garden
The Natural Garden
Portland Japanese Garden Antique Gate on February 15, 2010
The Antique Gate was a gift from the Japanese Ancestral Society.
Portland Japanese Garden Entry Trail on February 15, 2010
Along the steep path to the Admission Gate are etched stones naming donors to the garden.
Portland Japanese Garden Antique Gate on February 15, 2010
There is also a periodic shuttle from the entrance to the admission gate.
Portland Japanese Garden Admission Gate, February 15, 2010
This is the Admission Gate to the Japanese Garden.
Statue at the Portland Japanese Garden on February 27, 2010
Just inside the Admission Gate are two small statues, one of which is shown here.
Water Basin on February 27, 2010
Just past the Admission Gate is the first of several water basins that can be found throughout the garden.
Water Basin on February 27, 2010
Traditionally, the water basins are used to rinse one's hands and mouth, symbolically purifying oneself.
Water Basin on February 27, 2010
Here are some of the other water basins that can be found through the garden.
Water Basin on February 27, 2010
Lantern on February 27, 2010
Also just inside the entrance is this wooden lantern. There are lanterns throughout the garden, but the others are make of stone and have a more Japanese look to them. I'm not sure if this one is in accordance with traditional Japanese garden design or not.
Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion on February 27, 2010
The Pavilion, used for events, exhibitions and garden gatherings, was built with a grant from the Commemorative Association for the Japan World Exposition in an architectural style from the Japanese Kamakura period, featuring translucent paper panels called shoji and verandas connoting the integration of house and garden.
Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion on February 27, 2010
Dozono Collection of Hina Dolls on February 27, 2010
An example of the events and exhibitions the Pavilion is used for is this collection of Japanese Hina dolls from the family of Loen and Sho Dozono.
Dozono Collection of Hina Dolls on February 27, 2010
The dolls are part of the Hina Matsuri, or Doll Festival, which occurs on the third day of March, and are traditionally displayed and admired for a few weeks, providing an example to girls to be quiet, gentle, demure and restrained.
View from the east side of the Pavilion on February 27, 2010
From the east side of the Pavilion, there is an impressive view of downtown Portland, with Portland's tallest building, the Wells Fargo Center, in a prominent position.
Wells Fargo Center from the Pavilion on February 27, 2010
View from the east side of the Pavilion on February 27, 2010
Iyo Stone on February 27, 2010
The Iyo Stone near the Pavilion is a tribute to Philip Englehart, the first president of the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon from 1963 to 1964.
Iyo Stone Plaque on February 27, 2010
Flat Garden on February 27, 2010
The Flat Garden, or hira niwa, on the west side of the Pavilion depicts a sea of raked sand with two plantings depicting islands shaped like a saké cup and gourd-shaped bottle, which signify pleasure and a wish for the visitor's happiness.
Flat Garden on February 27, 2010
Flat Garden on February 27, 2010
Flat Garden on February 27, 2010
Flat Garden on February 27, 2010
Continue to The Strolling Pond Garden & The Tea Garden…
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