Silver Birch: Planted by Japan’s Crown Princess Michiko in the Year Our Garden Was Created

In this month’s article, Garden Guide Corinne Kennedy writes about the silver birch tree planted by Japan’s Crown Princess Michiko in 1960, the year the Seattle Japanese Garden was created.

An Oral History of Seattle Japanese Garden, Story No. 3: A Japanese Gardener in America

Check out the third of the Toro no Akari blog series, an oral history of the Seattle Japanese Garden as told from the perspective of those who know its every inch most intimately: the gardeners. In this story, former consultant Masa Mizuno shares how his approach to work was influenced by coming to the United States and his point of view on authenticity that he’s shared with the numerous gardeners who worked for him over the years.

Garden HistoryRumi TsuchihashiMay 22, 2024History, Garden Design, garden maintenance, garden tour

An Oral History of Seattle Japanese Garden, Story No. 2: Sacrifice and Simplicity

Check out the second post of the Toro no Akari blog series, an oral history of the Seattle Japanese Garden as told from the perspective of those who know its every inch most intimately: the gardeners. Gardener and former advisory board member Mark Akai recounts a humorous teaching moment when he began working at the garden as a teenager—and the lessons in simplicity he honed over the following five decades.

The Design and Creation of the Seattle Japanese Garden

The story of the Seattle Japanese Garden’s creation is a fascinating one, highlighted by odd twists and turns. As we celebrate the garden’s 60th anniversary, we are taking a moment to reflect on and share our garden’s history.

Designer's Perspective: An Essay from "The Gardens of Juki Iida" Part I ~ Translations

Over the course of the coming year, we will be sharing a series of essays written by the principle creators of the Seattle Japanese Garden, translated by Mark Bourne. The series opens with an essay from the book The Gardens of Juki Iida, published in 1980.

HistoryMark BourneApril 18, 2019History, Garden Design, Literature

One Stone Bridge, Well Rooted

It may surprise you to learn that the stone bridge in the entryway of the Seattle Japanese Garden was not a part of the 1960 construction of the garden. In fact, the stone bridge was already part of the landscape when the first plans for the garden were drafted in 1959.

History, Japanese Garden DesignChie IidaNovember 22, 2017History, Stone, Bridge

Essential Reading List for Autumn 2017

Called dokusho no aki in Japanese, the colder days and longer nights of fall beckon us to read. Blog contributor Corinne Kennedy has compiled a list of non-fiction titles about Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

Fall, Japanese CultureCorinne KennedyOctober 20, 2017Japanese Culture, History

Osmanthus – a Classic Evergreen bringing Structure & Fragrance to the Garden

Osmanthus is an under-appreciated gem of our Seattle Japanese Garden – and a favorite of mine....