Portland Japanese Garden

Our Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art, and Education, Aki Nakanishi was recently interviewed by The Japan Times. Nakanishi, who has been with the organization since 2018, moved to the United States after having served as Cultural Affairs Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. As a cultural adviser to Caroline Kennedy (United States ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017) among other ambassadors, Nakanishi was involved in the planning and management of the United States’ cultural strategy in Japan. “I think [Portland Japanese Garden] is valuable because it encapsulates the full range of joy that gardens offer, and it has projects that people all over the world can enjoy, learn from and be inspired by,” Nakanishi shared. Read more about his thoughts on Japanese gardens as an art form that supports ecological health. #portlandjapanesegarden #thoughtleadership #sustainability #japanesegardens #diplomacy

Last week, we celebrated our remarkable group of #volunteers. We're lucky to have 180 people from a diverse group of backgrounds (they speak a combined 15 different languages!). We truly could not operate without their help—whether it’s being friendly and super knowledgeable guides, literally getting down on the ground to weed and sweep, or aiding our programming teams to help ensure the Garden continues to provide an authentic window into Japanese culture. We recently profiled one of our longtime volunteers, Tsuru Tuenge. Tsuru shares: “Portland Japanese Garden is the best place to volunteer—you spend time in beautiful surroundings, get good exercise, and are surrounded by friends and interesting people.” Thank you, Tsuru! And thank you to all our volunteers. #portlandjapanesegarden #nonprofit

Summertime outdoors exploring the Portland Japanese Garden, a 12-acre urban oasis set within Portland’s lush Washington Park 🌿 This new Cultural Village serves as a connector of the stunning Oregon landscape, Japanese arts, and a subtle architectural form. The expansion project was a collaboration between Hacker and our friends & partners at KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES  with landscape by Walker Macy and built by Hoffman Construction Company. https://lnkd.in/gwmtZCxM 📸: Jeremy Bittermann

Each of us - our accomplishments and the work we do - is the product of those who came before us. "It takes 200 years to learn how to be a Japanese gardener" is one of my favorite quotes from when I started working at Portland Japanese Garden. It came from Dr. Tomoki Kato, President of Ueyakato Landscape Co in Kyoto and he wasn’t selling an elixir for immortality. His point was that only by combining the wisdom collected among us and from those who came before us can we be wholly qualified. That's why I loved seeing this callout in the new Lonely Planet article. Not only because we share space with some of Portland’s finest spaces like Oregon Zoo, International Rose Test Garden, and Hoyt Arboretum Friends but the quote from our Garden Curator, Hugo Torii speaks to building upon learnings from the past to be relevant for today. #japanesegarden #publicgardens #Portland #washingtonpark #gardenwisdom #quotes #gardendesign #peace #peacemaking #nonprofit

Portland Japanese Garden - a 501(c)(3) #nonprofit - is #hiring for a Full-Time Philanthropy Manager! The Philanthropy Manager will help plan and execute strategies to increase support through acquiring new donors and retaining, upgrading, and stewarding current donors. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys building donor relationships, is a multi-faceted fundraiser, and has a keen understanding of managing and analyzing data. Please click on the link below to learn more, and share with anyone you know who may be interested!

What a thrill to see our Peace Lantern in Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Today, leadership from Portland Japanese Garden and BBG joined together to dedicate this gift which sits prominently at the intersection of their remarkable lanes of cherry trees and the Hill-and-Pond Japanese garden. The garden is one of the oldest and most visited Japanese-inspired gardens outside Japan. Having our Peace Lantern here not only brings this message of peace and hope to so many more people around the world but marks a budding coast to coast partnership for peace for years to come. The occasion was made even more auspicious by the arrival of a crane (!!), a symbol of longevity and good fortune in Japan. You can see him there sitting quietly listening to the speeches. Thank you Brooklyn Botanic Garden for your warm hospitality! #publicgardens #peacemaking #peace

I’m taking an informal poll: what is your favorite place that functions as a “Space for Peace.” This weekend, we welcomed the incomparable Caryl Stern to speak at our annual Golden Crane Society reception and her description of Portland Japanese Garden was so moving that it got me thinking about other transformative spaces. How do others think of them? Do we have enough? What are your examples of places that foster dialogue, understanding, reconciliation, or simply a sense of peace? I’m also including a blurb from Caryl’s speech here. What an inspiration. Enjoy! ***** Consider the global landscape today: geopolitical tensions, economic disparities, environmental crises, and social unrest wherever you turn. Amidst this, spaces for peace become sanctuaries of hope. They provide refuge offering opportunities for people to come together, listen to each other’s perspectives, and seek not only common ground, but common solutions to the problems that plague us, even when faced with working with those with whom common ground is hard to find. Moreover, these spaces are indispensable for healing societies scarred by conflict. Whether it's post-war reconciliation efforts, ethnic or religious strife, or even interpersonal disputes, peace spaces facilitate reconciliation and forgiveness. They offer a fertile ground where wounds can be addressed, grievances can be aired, and transformative justice can take root. In our increasingly interconnected world, the significance of these spaces extends beyond local communities. They play a crucial role in promoting global peace and security. By nurturing a culture of dialogue and understanding at the grassroots level, they contribute to building more resilient societies capable of withstanding the pressures of extremism and intolerance. This garden – this magnificent garden – is such a space – it fosters peace, understanding, and reconciliation. It's not merely physical but a conceptual sanctuary where individuals can transcend differences, bridge divides, and cultivate mutual respect. In a world grappling with escalating conflicts, both within and between nations, this garden serves as a vital platform for dialogue and diplomacy. Furthermore, this garden, like all spaces for peace, is a catalyst for innovation and progress. It inspires creativity by sharing its magnificence and by showing us the pure glory that is achieved by its diversity – the enhancement of the beauty of each individual plant by its placement near others that are completely different. From grassroots initiatives to international peacebuilding efforts, this garden incubates ideas that can reshape policies, transform institutions, and pave the way for a more just and equitable future. #culturaldiplomacy #publicgardens #peace #peacemaking

What an honor for Portland Japanese Garden to welcome Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto back to Portland celebrating the 65th anniversary of our sister-city relationship between Portland and Sapporo, Japan. The friendships we share continue to strengthen U.S. Japan relations at a time when stable, global relationships are increasingly important. And of course we truly appreciate Mayor Akimoto's gracious words that it’s hard to find a garden as beautiful as ours, even in Japan. 🤗 I was also moved by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s remarks. He shared, “Places like Portland Japanese Garden make tangible the ideals and the philosophies that embody the sister-city relationships like Portland's and Sapporo’s and the many others that have since followed. They demonstrate the importance of building and maintaining places that foster dialogue and mutual understanding and demonstrate to the next generation what is possible when we work together and we come together under those shared values. There's always more work to do, but I'm heartened to be in the company of people who are committed to meaningful relationships and most importantly, peace for the next generation.” In service to our mission "Inspiring Harmony & Peace," here’s to 65 more years of friendship with Sapporo! #sapporo #portland #culturaldiplomacy #sistercities #peace

Led by Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden, public gardens around the world will present the collaborative installation: SPREAD PEACE: Wish Tree by Yoko Ono. The Wish Tree will show simultaneously from June 7-10 at Portland Japanese Garden in the U.S., Keihanna Commemorative Garden in Japan, Kokoro no Niwa in Chile, and Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in South Africa. This collaboration expands on the YOKO ONO: PEACE is POWER exhibition showing at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway. SPREAD PEACE: Wish Tree by Yoko Ono in Portland Japanese Garden will be displayed in the attraction’s Cultural Village.

Portland Japanese Garden - a 501(c)(3) #nonprofit - is #hiring for a Full-Time Gardener! Our Gardeners are responsible for all phases of ground maintenance including plant care, and garden structure preservation. This position is an excellent opportunity for professionals who are interested in expanding their knowledge on Japanese gardening techniques. Please click on the link below to learn more, and share with anyone you know who may be interested!