Those who traverse the west are fortunate that they don’t have to fly to Japan or even Washington D.C. to view a spectacular display of cherry blossoms. Just head to the Portland Japanese Garden this spring for an eye-full of joyful pink and white blossoms.
The arrival of spring in Portland Japanese Garden is accompanied by the steady bloom of cherry blossoms. These seasonal blooms, as lovely as they are fleeting, remind us to pause our busy lives and be present in the moment.
From Zoo to Garden
Portland Japanese Garden, considered the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan itself, was founded 60 years ago in 1963 when Portland civic leaders transformed the abandoned grounds of a pre-modern zoo into an urban oasis that helped reform ties between Portland and Japan as well as provide Portlanders and visitors to the area a place to experience inner peace. Among the first new plant life dug into the Garden’s soil were cherry trees. Sakura, cherry blossoms, are deeply symbolic flowers of Japan and quickly became a cherished quality of Portland Japanese Garden.
Interesting Facts
Due to the Garden’s elevation and placement within the forested environs of Washington Park, cherry blossoms often bloom at times different than other parts of the city, such as Tom McCall Waterfront Park. While every year is different, cherry blossoms typically reveal themselves in mid-to-late March and early April.
In the 1960s, Portland Japanese Garden’s original designer, Professor Takuma Tono of the Tokyo University of Agriculture, determined only one weeping cherry tree could be planted because of its dramatic blooms.
This weeping cherry still resides in the Flat Garden to this day. Now approximately 80 years old and 15 feet in height, it was transplanted from a Portland community member’s lawn when it faced demolition during the city’s expansion of streets and highways.
In addition to the weeping cherry, there are Yoshino cherry trees in the Strolling Pond Garden as well as one that graces the western view outside the windows of the Kengo Kuma-designed Umami Café, a place where Garden visitors can enjoy handcrafted wagashi and world-class Japanese green teas.
Soak up the Culture
Portland Japanese Garden is not only considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, but also the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America. Visitors to Portland Japanese Garden also have the opportunity to experience a multitude of Japanese cultural events, including Subtle Intimacy: Here and There, an art exhibition by Japan Institute’s first Artist-in-Residence, Rui Sasaki. This exhibition, which transforms plant life from both the Garden and Sasaki’s native Kanazawa into ephemeral and fossil-like glass art, will join a multitude of other experiences including tea ceremony demonstrations, ikebana shows, and more.
If You Go:
Current Hours: 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Wednesday – Monday, closed Tuesdays
Adult admission: $19.95
Tickets can be purchased at tickets.japanesegarden.org
More information on spring at Portland Japanese Garden can be found here
