Extended First Thursday Hours in 2019!

First Thursday Origami Workshop in the Tateuchi Community Room, July 2018

Exciting news for Seattle Japanese Garden lovers –we’ve extended our free First Thursday hours in 2019! A few years ago we got involved in a popular Seattle tradition, offering free entry to the garden on the first Thursday of each month like many other local museums and galleries. With support from the Arboretum Foundation and Seattle Parks and Recreation these hours have expanded and the garden will be free from 1pm until close on the first Thursday of each month.

The First Thursday fun doesn’t stop there! Each month we feature a local artist who will share their work with garden visitors during this special free entry period. The full calendar for 2019 will be posted in March, but here’s a sneak peek at a what you can expect:

Haiga Collection by Fumiko Kimura, Exhibit Opening Reception & Sumi-e Demonstration

April 4th, 2019 4:00 PM-5:45PM

Fumiko Kimura, a local Japanese-American artist and co-founder of Puget Sound Sumi Artists, will be joining us to demonstrate the Japanese art of sumi-e (ink calligraphy) and discuss her haiga exhibit in the Tateuchi Community Room at the Seattle Japanese Garden. Haiga is an art style combining haiku poetry and ink paintings. Her On The Walls haiga exhibit will be on display from April through late May.

Wandering and Wondering | Butoh Exhibit Opening

August 1st, 2019, 3:30PM-6:30PM

Experimental movement troupe Kogut Butoh, lead by artistic director Joan Laage, will return to the garden for their 9th year of Wandering and Wondering. Throughout the three-hour event, you will encounter dancers and musicians dispersed in surprising locations in the garden. The performers’ movements directly respond to all the sights, smells, and sounds they encounter in the garden, and in observing them, you'll experience a heightened awareness the environment you are immersed in. An exhibit of previous Butoh performances will also be on display in the Tateuchi Community Room during the event.

Wandering and Wondering 2018, Kogut Butoh performance