Join us on November 16th for Family Saturday. While there is no special programming this month,this is a wonderful opportunity to come enjoy the waning autumn beauty at the Garden. Free admission to all youth 12 and younger from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Saturday.
Come and join us for Origami folding and playing with traditional Japanese toys.
As part of Hatsumomiji Week, we will have two activities simultaneously in our community room for October's Family Saturday!
Join us for Hatsumomiji (初紅葉) – the beloved tradition of appreciating nature’s art. Each day brings out more colors to the Seattle Japanese Garden during this time of year creating a breathtaking view.
* Admission to the garden ends 45 minutes prior to the closing time (No admission after 4:15pm)
* Plan to arrive at least one hour prior to the closing time
* Tripods are not allowed in the garden
Unit 86, our beloved guide group, will present the Family Saturday: Respect for Elders Day program. They are planning many fun activities for families to enjoy. Bring your entire family and have a wonderful day celebrating our elders.
The Seattle Japanese Garden is participating in the North American Japanese Garden Association’s Gardens for Peace event. Visit the garden from 11am to 1pm on August 10th to draw a peace pattern with water onto special water-writing calligraphy scrolls. You can also fold an origami peace crane inspired by Sadako and the Thousand Peace Cranes in the Tateuchi Community Room.
Join us on Thursday, August 1st, 5pm – 6:00pm in the Tateuchi Community Room for a Lecture by Nobuko Horikawa. Professor Nobuko from Seattle University will teach us the Japanese fun and scary Yokai (Ghost) world!
For the August Free First Thursday, Wandering and Wondering returns to Seattle Japanese Garden for Butoh performance! Throughout the three-hour event since 2010, you will encounter dancers and musicians dispersed in surprising locations in the garden. Wandering and Wondering is a sensory feast not to be missed. Entry to the garden will be FREE all day.
Artisans of Edo is a part of hundreds of Japanese prints that were collected by the Wiley family in Japan at the end of WWII. The collection is a loan from the Wiley family in honor of their late father Bob Wiley and mother, Mary Ann Wiley. The exhibit will also include a collection of 100-year-old garments acquired by the Wiley family.
Artisans of Edo will be on display from August 1 through 31, 2024. The garden admission is free from Noon to closing on Thursday, August 1 for Free First Thursday.
Join us for a summer evening of jazz and sake in the beautiful Seattle Japanese Garden!
Trumpeter, composer, educator, and recording artist Jun Iida (Joon Ee-da) has quickly established himself as a highly sought after musician. Iida has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and Japan at notable jazz clubs, theaters, and festivals with his sextet and as a sideman.
Jun will be joined by the musicians below for the night.
Jun Iida (trumpet)
Greg Feingold (bass)
Sutton Marley (drums)
Matt Williams (keys)
Join us for the annual Japanese star festival! Tanabata 七夕 at the garden is a family-friendly event that we celebrate with magnificent colors, craft making, and a tradition of writing wishes. This year, we’re celebrating on July 6th and July 7th.
Youth Photography Exhibit by the Youth Photography Workshops participants will start from noon on July 4th. The new talented group of artists participated in our youth photography workshops at the Garden this spring. The workshops were held in partnership with Youth In Focus. July 4th is our Free First Thursday and the admission is free for all day.
This event is canceled due to the weather. It is an outdoor event, and the weather forecast predicts rain in Seattle on June 15.
You will learn how to dye fabric with indigo, a plant also known as Indigofera tinctoria.
Demonstration will be held in the Meadow area North of the Tea House from 11am-1:00pm and is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited, so plan to arrive early!
Admission is FREE from 10am to 2pm for visitors 12 and under for April Family Saturday!
After a cold winter, koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden are looking forward to our friendly visitors (and a feast)!
Koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden are awake from their winter hibernation and ready to eat. For our May Family Saturday on May 11th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., we’ll have free koi food(*Subject to change), a koi presentation and Q & A by the Washington Koi & Water Garden Society, and a Taiko Drum Performance by Kaze Taiko (TBD).
FREE admission to all youth 12 and younger from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Saturday.
Seattle-based Japanese artist Mari Ichimasu's signature series, Fur Coats and Backpacks; The Travel Cats will be on display through June 30, 2024. Come meet Mari during the opening reception on Thursday, May 2 at 5pm. Admission to the garden is free after Noon on 5/2 for Free First Thursday.
Kyoko Matsuda, representing the Omotesenke style, will deliver a lecture on the Japanese tea ceremony on April 4th. Kyoko and her group have been demonstrating the Japanese Tea Ceremony at the Shoseian for many years. Attendees are invited to learn about the essence of the Japanese Traditional Tea Ceremony from historical and philosophical viewpoints.
*This lecture will be held in the community room, and traditional matcha tea will not be served.
Join us for this rare opportunity to experience the enchanting Shakuhachi music of Kaoru Kakizakai from Japan! Kaoru Kakizakai will be performing at various locations inside the garden from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. Feel free to engage with him during breaks if you have any questions.
Join us for Momijigari (紅葉狩り) – the beloved tradition of appreciating nature’s art. Each day brings out more colors to the Seattle Japanese Garden during this time of year creating a breathtaking view.
* Admission to the garden ends 45 minutes prior to the closing time (No admission after 4:15pm)
* Plan to arrive at least one hour prior to the closing time
* Tripods are not allowed in the garden
Have you ever watched the intricate process of textiles being woven up close? Join us for the September Family Saturday when textile artist Satoko Pettersson will be demonstrating this fascinating art form in the Tateuchi Community Room from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. * Free admission to all youth 12 and younger and seniors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Saturday and Respect for Elders Day.
For Free First Thursday in September, Seattle Japanese Garden welcomes Ritsuko (“Ricky”) Kashiba for a calligraphy demonstration and a hands-on calligraphy table.
Ritsuko (“Ricky”) Kashiba is a calligraphy instructor based in Seattle, WA. Ritsuko has been practicing calligraphy for over 40 years and has been teaching for the past 25 years. She is a member of Beikoku Shodo Kenkyu Kai, whose mission is to carry the tradition of the art of shodo and inspire interest throughout the United States and Japan since 1965.
Join us on Thursday, 9/7 from 4:30pm-5:30pm in the Tateuchi Community Room. Admission is free all day for Free First Thursday.
You will learn how to dye fabric with indigo, a plant also known as Indigofera tinctoria.
Demonstration will be held in the Meadow area North of the Tea House from 11am-1:00pm and is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited, so plan to arrive early!
Admission is FREE from 10am to 2pm for visitors 12 and under for April Family Saturday!
Join us on Thursday, August 3rd, 5:00pm – 6:30pm in the Tateuchi Community Room for Art Reception: Youth Photography Exhibit by the Youth Photography Workshops participants. The new talented group of artists participated in our youth photography workshops at the Garden this spring. The workshops were held in partnership with Youth In Focus. It is part of our Free First Thursday and the admission is free for all day.
For the August Free First Thursday, Wandering and Wondering returns to Seattle Japanese Garden for Butoh performance! Throughout the three-hour event, you will encounter dancers and musicians dispersed in surprising locations in the garden. Wandering and Wondering is a sensory feast not to be missed. Entry to the garden will be FREE all day.
Don’t miss this exciting photography exhibit by our youth artists! These new talented group of artists participated in our youth photography workshops at the Garden this spring.
The exhibit will be on display in the Tateuchi Community Room till Sunday, October 1st.
*Final entry to the garden is 45 minutes before closing.
Join us on Thursday, May 4, 6pm – 7:00pm in the Tateuchi Community Room for a Lecture by Taka Ishii from Awohoyoh.
On July 6th, as part of our Tanabata Festival and Free First Thursday, Takayuki Ishii from Awonoyoh will give a lecture about plants for Japanese Indigo, his Aizome works, his studio in Japan, and the town where he lives, farms, and produces his Aizome art.
Admission is free all day on July 6th for our Free First Thursday. Come meet the artist and stay for the slide show! Stay tuned for more details.
Join us for the annual Japanese star festival! Tanabata 七夕 at the garden is a family-friendly event that we celebrate with magnificent colors, craft making, and a tradition of writing wishes. This year, we’re celebrating for 3 days!
Indigo dye is one of the oldest dyeing methods in the world. It was used not only in ancient India, Egypt, and China but also in Central and South America and Africa. In Japan, indigo dyeing is known as Aizome. Its history goes all the way back to 8th century. The oldest Aizome cloth is still kept in Shosoin in Nara prefecture. From working clothes to formal attairs, Aizome dyeing has started being used widely in the Edo period (1603-1867). Aizome dye was highly regarded for its antibacterial and insect-repellent properties addition to its beautiful deep blue hue.
The British chemist Robert William Atkinson, who came to Japan at the beginning of the Meiji period(1868〜1912), admired the indigo blue seen here and there in the town and called it "Japan Blue".
Takayuki Ishii from Awonoyoh will present his Indigo dye fabric collection at our Tateuchi community room from July 4th through July 30th.
Enjoy time in the Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum, and a watercolor painting experience led by a skilled facilitator. Series is open to persons with early to mid-stage dementia and their care partners. Each session includes time to explore the garden and a guided watercolor painting experience. No artistic experience necessary; all materials provided. Offered in collaboration with Dementia-Friendly Recreation.
Enjoy time in the Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum, and a watercolor painting experience led by a skilled facilitator. Series is open to persons with early to mid-stage dementia and their care partners. Each session includes time to explore the garden and a guided watercolor painting experience. No artistic experience necessary; all materials provided. Offered in collaboration with Dementia-Friendly Recreation.
After an unusually cold winter and early spring, koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden are looking forward to our friendly visitors (and a feast)!
Koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden are awake from their winter hibernation and ready to eat. For our May Family Saturday on May 20th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., we’ll have free koi food, a koi presentation and Q & A by the Washington Koi & Water Garden Society, and a Taiko Drum Performance by Kaze Taiko (starting at noon), a vegetable Stamp art and crafts at the Tateuchi community room.
FREE admission to all youth 12 and younger from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Saturday.
Enjoy time in the Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum, and a watercolor painting experience led by a skilled facilitator. Series is open to persons with early to mid-stage dementia and their care partners. Each session includes time to explore the garden and a guided watercolor painting experience. No artistic experience necessary; all materials provided. Offered in collaboration with Dementia-Friendly Recreation.
