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. 

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. 

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. 

Experience the joyful tradition of Kamishibai (paper play) at Seattle Japanese Garden!

Ta-chan, a kamishibai artist from Nagoya, Japan will be touring all through town and will be performing at the Garden on September 17th and October 8th. Bring your whole family to the Garden for this special opportunity.

Kamishibai or "paper play" is a form of Japanese street theatre and storytelling that was popular during the Depression of the 1930s and the post-war period in Japan until the advent of television.

Tatsuo “Tacchan” Kawakami Tacchan, based in Nagoya, Japan, is the winner of Japan Street Kamishibai Competition

Experience the joyful tradition of Kamishibai (paper play) at Seattle Japanese Garden!

Ta-chan, a kamishibai artist from Nagoya, Japan will be touring all through town this fall and will perform at the Garden on September 17th and October 8th. Bring your whole family to the Garden for this special opportunity.

Kamishibai or "paper play" is a form of Japanese street theatre and storytelling that was popular during the Depression of the 1930s and the post-war period in Japan until the advent of television.

Tatsuo “Tacchan” Kawakami Tacchan, based in Nagoya, Japan, is the winner of the Japan Street Kamishibai Competition in Numazu for two consecutive years. He is the only full time Kamishibai storyteller left in Japan.

This year 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 13th 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 for the opening of a new and exciting photography exhibit by our youth artists! These new talented group of artists participated in our photography workshops at the Garden this spring. The workshops were held in partnership with Youth In Focus, with the support by 4Culture.

Admission to the garden is FREE all day for Free First Thursday. Meet the artists from 5-6:30pm in the Tateuchi Community Room.

The exhibit will be on display in the Tateuchi Community Room through the end of September.

*Final entry to the garden is 45 minutes before closing.

Hillary Moore is a Seattle artist whose work is inspired by the wonder of childhood. For our June Family Saturday, Hillary will be demonstrating and leading a family-friendly, shibori-inspired art workshop in the garden. Come explore patterns and textures in nature using resist techniques!

Hillary’s background is in illustration and painting as well as education and creative youth development.

FREE admission to all youth 12 and younger from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Saturday.

(*This event was originally planned for June of 2020.)

Family Saturday and Koi Day are back at the Seattle Japanese Garden!

For our May Family Saturday on May 14th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., we’ll have free koi food (while supplies last), a koi presentation and Q & A by the Washington Koi & Water Garden Society, and garden scavenger hunt.

FREE admission to all youth 12 and younger from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Family Saturday.

*Final entry to the garden is 45 minutes before closing.

On The Walls: Garden Images by Stephen Okawa through Sunday, June 26, 2022.

While you can visit the garden to say hello to the koi and check out the newly-renovated pond and the scent of spring blossoms (Tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance) our 2021 Koi Day event is virtual.

Our new virtual photography exhibit, Hello Koi, featuring images of colorful koi fish by our Photography Members, will be posted here on 5/8.

Our koi friends at the Seattle Japanese Garden are a little disappointed this year not to have your company for their favorite day of the year, Koi Day, but they too are staying home and staying healthy!

Here are some ideas to enjoy Koi Day from home.

Join Seattle Rep and other local arts organizations for an afternoon of performance, discussion, and interactive activities in the Seattle Japanese Garden. The multi-disciplinary performances will offer a different perspective on the climate crisis, while interactive discussion-based activities for adults and children will stimulate in-depth conversation on this crucial topic. Leave with the inspiration and tools to take action. All ages welcome.

Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day.

11 am - 3 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami

1pm / 2pm / 3pm Tea Ceremony provided by Omotesenke -ryu (Tickets sold separately. Please stop by or call the gatehouse to reserve your seats.)

1:30 pm Koto Performance by Koto no WA

Family Saturday – Free admission for youth under 12 from 10am – 2pm. Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day.

11 am - 1 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami

11:15 am - 12:15 pm Taiko Performance by Kaze Daiko

1 – 2 pm Kids Illustration Workshop by Liz Wong

1pm / 2pm / 3pm Tea Ceremony provided by Urasenke Tankokai

(Tickets sold separately. Please stop by or call the gatehouse to reserve your seats.)

Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day. 11 am - 1 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami.

Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day. 11 am - 1 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami.

Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day. 11 am - 1 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami.

Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day. 11 am - 1 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami.

Self-guided Maple Tour Brochures will be available at the gatehouse all day. 12 - 2 pm Maple Scavenger Hunt & Maple Origami.

Origami, Maple Scavenger Hunt and Kamishibai Theater!

“The Moon Princess | Kaguyahime (かぐや姫)” also known as the Story of the Bamboo Cutter, is a story of a girl magically born from a bamboo stalk. Approx. 15 min. will be told using a traditional street theater style.