View source for Seattle Japanese Garden

{{Short description|Japanese garden in Seattle, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox park
|name          = Seattle Japanese Garden
|alt           = 
|image         = Seattle_Japanese_garden_2011_05.jpg
|type          = [[Japanese garden]]
|location      = [[Seattle]], Washington, United States
|coords        = {{coord|47.62915|-122.29639| type:landmark_region:US-WA_source:googlemaps | display=inline,title}}
|area          = {{convert|3.5|acre|ha}}
|plants        = 
|species       = 
| map = 
| map_label =
|opened        = 1960
|owner         = 
|operator      = 
|visitation_num  = 
|visitation_year = 
|visitation_ref  = 
|status        = Open to the public
|website       = [https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/ seattlejapanesegarden.org]
|embedded       = {{Designation list
| embed           = yes
| designation1    = Seattle Landmark
| designation1_date = {{start date|2008|05|21}}<ref name="Landmark"/>
}}
}}

The '''Seattle Japanese Garden''' is a {{convert|3.5|acre|ha|adj=mid}} [[Japanese garden]] in the [[Madison Park, Seattle|Madison Park neighborhood]] of [[Seattle]]. The garden is located in the southern end of the [[Washington Park Arboretum]] on Lake Washington Boulevard East. The garden is one of the oldest Japanese gardens in North America, and is regarded as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rothteien.com/topics/na-survey.htm |title=North America's Top 25 Japanese Gardens |work=Sukiya Living |year=2004 |accessdate=April 29, 2015}}</ref>

==History==

Proposals to construct a [[Japanese garden]] in Seattle date back to the 1909 [[Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition]], which included a temporary Japanese Pavilion with a garden for the world's fair. The new Washington Park Arboretum was proposed as the site of the garden by 1937, but its construction was not undertaken at the time due to racial tensions and the onset of [[World War II]]. The Arboretum Foundation began fundraising for the project in 1957 ahead of the [[Century 21 Exposition|1962 World's Fair]] and consulted with Japanese diplomats based in Seattle to solicit donations and potential designs. [[Fujitaro Kubota]], a local gardener and landscaper who later donated [[Kubota Garden]] to the city, provided the initial cost estimates to the foundation.<ref name="Landmark">{{cite report |last=Gordon |first=Karen |date=June 4, 2008 |title=Report on Designation: Seattle Japanese Garden |pages=2, 25–29 |url=https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/Neighborhoods/HistoricPreservation/Landmarks/RelatedDocuments/seattle-japanese-garden-designation.pdf |publisher=[[Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board]] |accessdate=June 26, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Gardner">{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Jessa |date=June 5, 2020 |title=The Design and Creation of the Seattle Japanese Garden |url=https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/2020/6/5/the-design-and-creation-of-the-seattle-japanese-garden |publisher=Seattle Japanese Garden |accessdate=June 26, 2024}}</ref> A team of six landscape architects and designers, led by Kiyoshi Inoshita and Juki Iida, were selected by the [[Tokyo Metropolitan Government]] and presented their plans for the Seattle garden in 1958.<ref name="Landmark"/>

Iida selected Japanese American contractors for the project due to their familiarity with the Japanese language and aesthetics; they included William Yorozu for plants, Richard Yamasaki for stone setting, and Kei Ishimitsu for garden structures.<ref name="Gardner"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Juuki Iida Scroll |url=https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/hours-and-contacts/history/juuki-iida-scroll/ |access-date=June 26, 2024 |website=Elisabeth C. Miller Library |language=en-US}}</ref> The teahouse was gifted to the city by the Tokyo government and shipped in pieces in March 1959; it was assembled for temporary display at a [[trade fair]] the following month before construction of its permanent home began on May 19.<ref name="Landmark"/><ref>{{cite news |date=May 20, 1959 |title=Teahouse Is Going Up In Arboretum |page=66 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The first [[tea ceremony]] was conducted on July 4, 1959, by visiting [[Urasenke]] grand master [[Sen Sōshitsu XV]].<ref name="Landmark"/>

Construction began in late 1959 and used primarily local materials, including {{convert|600|ST|kg}} of [[granite]] boulders from [[Bandera Mountain]] that were selected by Iida during a trip to the [[Snoqualmie Pass]] area.<ref name="Landmark"/> The boulders ranged in size from 1,000 pounds to 11 tons and were wrapped in bamboo matting to be transported to Seattle. They were arranged to complement a variety of culturally appropriate azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, mosses, and ferns that were planted beginning in March 1960;<ref name="Gardner"/><ref name=Tour>{{cite web |title=Seattle Japanese Garden: A Self-Guided Tour |url=http://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/assets/docs/2009_sgt-English.pdf |work=SeattleJapaneseGarden.org |publisher=[[Seattle Parks and Recreation]] |accessdate=April 29, 2015}}</ref> some 100 flowering trees were donated by members of the public, primarily from Japanese American associations.<ref name="Landmark"/> The garden was dedicated by Seattle mayor [[Gordon S. Clinton]] on June 5, 1960.<ref name="Landmark"/><ref>{{cite news |date=June 5, 1960 |title=Tea-Garden Scheduled Announced |page=40 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

During their October 1960 stop in Seattle, the Japanese Crown Prince [[Akihito]] and Crown Princess [[Empress Michiko|Michiko]] visited the newly opened garden.<ref name=murohashi>{{citation |last=Murohashi|first=Misa|title=Japanese Imperial Visit in 1960 | newspaper=[[North American Post]] |date=June 26, 2020 |url=https://napost.com/2020/japanese-imperial-visit-in-1960/}}</ref> Together, they planted a cherry tree and a white birch, the latter a symbol ({{ill|o-shirushi|ja|お印}}) of the Princess's family.<ref name=historylink7159>{{Cite web|last=Stein|first=Alan J.|url=https://www.historylink.org/file/7159| title =Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko of Japan visit Seattle |work=[[HistoryLink|Historylink.org]]|date=December 1, 2004}}</ref> Access to the garden was initially free until [[turnstile]]s with a 10-cent fee were installed in May 1961.<ref name="Landmark"/>

The original teahouse was burned by vandals on April 9, 1973, and reconstructed by Yasunori "Fred" Sugita in 1980 and 1981. It took eight years for the Arboretum Foundation to raise $175,000, with assistance from the Urasenke Foundation, until the teahouse was ready to be rebuilt.<ref name="Landmark"/> The teahouse was rededicated by Sen Sōshitsu XV on May 16, 1981, and named "Shoseian".<ref name="Landmark"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Rhodes |first=Elizabeth |date=May 16, 1981 |title='Teahouse celebration' today marks project's completion |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

The garden has undertaken several other infrastructure improvements, including a new gatehouse and community meeting room. Several paths were modified to comply with wheelchair accessibility requirements in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Holt |first=Gordy |date=November 3, 1997 |title=Disharmony over change in garden |page=B1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The garden underwent a major renovation from 2001 to 2002 to restore the eroded pond and replace deteriorating bridges and plants.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wingate |first=Marty |date=March 28, 2002 |title=Renovated Japanese garden reopens with creator's vision intact |page=C8 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The Gatehouse project was completed in 2009. The new structure includes a bronze gate designed by a local Seattle sculptor [[Gerard Tsutakawa]].<ref name=Tour/> As part of planning for the project, the garden was designated as a [[List of Seattle landmarks|city historical landmark]] by the [[Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board]] on May 21, 2008.<ref name="Landmark"/>

The garden was awarded the [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Japanese Foreign Minister]]'s Commendation for its contributions to the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States on December 1, 2020.<ref>[https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/press6e_000255.html Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2020 {{!}} Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan]</ref><ref>[https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/100120947.pdf Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2020 (Groups) {{!}} Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan]</ref>

==Cultural events==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2016}}
The Seattle Japanese Garden hosts several cultural celebrations throughout the year, including:
*''[[Children's Day (Japan)|Kodomo no Hi]]'' (Children's Day)
*''[[Tanabata]]''
*  Wondering and Wandering
*''[[Tsukimi|Otsukimi]]'' (Moon Viewing)
*''[[Respect for the Aged Day|Keiro no Hi]]'' (Respect for Elders Day)
*''[[Leaf peeping#Japan|Momijigari]]'' (Maple Viewing)

These special cultural events feature local performers, including calligraphers, taiko ensembles, dance troupes, and traditional musicians.

== Community partners ==
The Seattle Japanese Garden is a partnership between the [[City of Seattle]], the Associated Recreation Council (The Seattle Japanese Garden Advisory Council) and the Washington Park Arboretum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/donate.html |title=Support the Seattle Japanese Garden |work=SeattleJapaneseGarden.org |publisher=Seattle Japanese Garden |accessdate=April 29, 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[History of the Japanese in Seattle]]
* [[Seattle Chinese Garden]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web |last=Kobayashi |first=Koichi |title=Legacy of Japanese Garden of Seattle: Past, Present and Future |url=https://faculty.washington.edu/smott/Kobayashi2003.pdf |publisher=University of Washington |accessdate=April 29, 2015}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Seattle Japanese Garden}}
*{{official website|http://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/}}
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20020413112531/http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/japanesegarden.htm Japanese Garden]}} at [[Seattle Parks and Recreation]]
*[http://www.jgarden.org/gardens.asp?ID=389 Seattle Japanese Garden] at JGarden.org
*[http://www.japanesegardensociety.org/ Japanese Garden Society of Seattle] at JapaneseGardensociety.org
*{{Cite news |title=Seattle Japanese Garden - Crown Princess Michiko birch tree | newspaper=Discover Nikkei |date=July 11, 2007 | url=http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/nikkeialbum/items/1721/}}

{{Protected areas of Seattle}}

[[Category:Parks in Seattle]]
[[Category:Japanese gardens in Seattle]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Seattle]]
[[Category:1960 establishments in Washington (state)]]