PORTLAND, Ore., United States—February 3, 2025—Portland Japanese Garden is excited to present its first new art exhibition of 2025 with Earthen Elegance: The Ceramic Art of Bizen. Opening Saturday, February 8 and running through June 9 in the Pavilion Gallery, this exhibition celebrates contemporary ceramic art and vessels that preserve a time-honored collaboration of earth, fire, and the artist’s hand. Among the works are pieces by famous Bizen ceramicists, including Jun Isezaki, a Living National Treasure of Japan, and by Ryūichi Kakurezaki, one of Japan most innovative contemporary sculptors.

The city of Bizen is a ceramic center that has continued its unique form of pottery for over 900 years. Notable for their rustic, textured, and unglazed forms, the works featured in Earthen Elegance reveal the breadth of techniques that define Bizen pottery. Silken clay, dredged from the earth that sustains rice paddies, is combined with grittier clay pulled from mountainous surroundings. It is then expertly transformed through the process of firing in wood-fueled kilns. The resulting ceramics speak to humankind’s coexistence with nature.

Earthen Elegance features art on loan from the Collection of David Sneider and Naomi Pollock. Sneider, an international lawyer, and Pollock, an architect and author, lived and worked in Japan for 30 years. Deeply moved by the artistry and craftsmanship of Japanese pottery, they assembled an extensive collection which spans the full horizon of contemporary Japanese ceramics.  Within Bizen ceramics, they marvel at how a particularly large number of innovative artists are applying local materials and time-honored techniques to create work that respects tradition and yet is truly modern.  

Contemporary Bizen’s reverence for tradition, attention to their raw materials, and adherence to aesthetic simplicity informed by nature provides the ideal complement to the curated scenery at Portland Japanese Garden.

Event Information

Earthen Elegance: The Ceramic Art of Bizen
February 8 – June 9, 2025
Pavillion Gallery, Portland Japanese Garden
611 SW Kingston Ave. Portland, OR 97205
(503) 223-1321 (main)
Cost: Included with Daily Admission
Hours & Admission found here

Visual Assets

Images can be found in this Dropbox folder. The photographer’s name is in the file name. Please stylize the credit as “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by [fill in name].” If no photographer is listed, “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden” will suffice. Images of the exhibition will be included when available.

Media Contact

Will Lerner, Communications Manager
(503) 542-9351 (office)
wlerner@japanesegarden.org

About Portland Japanese Garden  

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America. 

About Japan Institute

Japan Institute was established in 2022 as a global cultural initiative of Portland Japanese Garden. This sibling organization is the programmatic arm of Portland Japanese Garden, allowing us to share and expand our cultural programs more broadly around the world, deepen international partnerships, and continue to engage diverse people in shared experiences and conversations about peace, beauty, and connection of nature.

Portland Japanese Garden & Japan Institute share the mission: Inspiring Harmony & Peace.

The post First Art Exhibition of 2025 at Portland Japanese Garden Features Contemporary Bizen Ceramics Based on 900-Year Tradition appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore., United States—January 20, 2025—On Sunday, January 19, Oregon State Representative Mari Watanabe (Washington County) was sworn in by Justice Aruna Masih of the Oregon Supreme Court to fill a vacant seat for House District 34 in front of crowd of family, friends, colleagues, and admirers at Portland Japanese Garden. Watanabe, who serves on the Garden’s Board of Trustees, is the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants and has been a Portland resident since 2000. Her appointment, certified by Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read at the ceremony, makes her the first Japanese American woman to serve in the Oregon legislature, a body that held its first regular session in 1860.

Watanabe had been unanimously voted to the role by a joint session of the Multnomah County and Washington County Boards of Commissioners on Wednesday, January 15. The seat became vacant when Senator Lisa Reynolds, MD (Portland) had been selected to fill a vacancy for Senate District 17, a district previously represented by Oregon Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner, MD.

In 2008, Watanabe was named the first Executive Director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. In 2023, she retired after 11 years of serving as Executive Director for Partners in Diversity, an organization that helps employers build and strengthen diverse workforces. She has won numerous awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Commission for Women in 2023. In 2011, Watanabe was chosen by the U.S.-Japan Council to be among a 13-person delegation of Japanese Americans to help strengthen transpacific relations between the two nations.

“I want to thank Portland Japanese Garden and Lisa Christy, its Executive Director,” Watanabe shared in her remarks. “You and your staff are incredible. I am so grateful—this is the perfect place for me to be sworn in, in my opinion. …I am so proud to be the first Japanese American woman in the state legislature. I am a third generation Japanese American whose ancestors have been in America for over 120 years. This is historic.”

Lisa Christy, Executive Director for Portland Japanese Garden, remarks:

“Portland Japanese Garden is deeply honored to have been the site of Representative Mari Watanabe’s swearing-in ceremony. Mari joined our organization’s Board of Trustees in May of 2024 and has quickly made a positive impact through her experience in nonprofit leadership, passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and her intelligence and empathy. She brings an important voice, connection to heritage, and valuable perspective that is crucial to the identity of Portland Japanese Garden.”

“The Garden was founded in 1963 in a city still reeling from the cruel and illegal treatment of its Japanese and Japanese American community members during World War II. Our organization, catalyzed into existence by a fervent desire for cross-cultural understanding, has become a community treasure in large part due to the leadership and dedication of those in Portland’s Japanese American community. The Garden is thrilled for these same neighbors, friends, and advocates to see Representative Watanabe make history by becoming the first woman of Japanese ancestry to join the Oregon state legislature. We look forward to continuing to partner with her as we pursue our mission of Inspiring Harmony and Peace.”

Digital Assets

Photos available here. A document providing context for each photo within. Credit: “Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.”

Media Contact

Will Lerner
Communications Manager, Portland Japanese Garden
(503) 542-9351 (office)
wlerner@japanesegarden.org

About Portland Japanese Garden 

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America. The mission of Portland Japanese Garden is Inspiring Harmony and Peace.

The post Oregon State Representative Mari Watanabe Sworn into Office at Portland Japanese Garden, Becomes First Japanese American Woman to Join Oregon Legislature appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore., United States—November 18, 2024—This year has been a tumultuous one, where the stresses of everyday life sometimes became too strongly felt. Perhaps an important person in your life has been feeling anxiety or unrest more sharply than in years past. As you consider the presents you’ll be giving this holiday season, we encourage purchasing those you love a gift membership to Portland Japanese Garden to give them a space to find peace and connect with nature.  Portland Japanese Garden stands as a crown jewel of its home city and because it is in perpetual evolution, it is best enjoyed through multiple visits, something its members can attest to.

There is a growing amount of research that indicates that time spent in nature has a positive impact on physical and mental health. In the heart of a Pacific Northwest forest, alongside meandering streams and amid cool breezes, a stroll through Portland Japanese Garden relieves the pressures of everyday life. Even better, members can visit in the morning before the public arrives, allowing for a calmer forest bathing experience.  The nonprofit organization is also often referenced as “more than a garden.” Beyond the beauty and serenity of its spaces, the Garden is a cultural institution that offers festival celebrations, workshops in traditional Japanese creative endeavors and art exhibitions. Members of the Garden receive exclusive access to these culturally immersive opportunities that draw us together in a time of increased division. 

For many of its members, Portland Japanese Garden has become a second home — a comforting part of the city to frequent and a highlight on the itinerary of visiting friends and family. Aside from being able to enjoy the transformation of the seasons in Portland’s most beautiful urban oasis, members to the Garden enjoy unlimited free admission, daily member-only hours, enchanting art exhibitions, early access to register for hands-on workshops, and discounts to our Gift Shop. All of the benefits of a membership to Portland Japanese Garden can be found here.

Visual Assets

Images can be found in this Dropbox folder. Photographer name is in the file name. Please stylize the credit as “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by [fill in name].” If no photographer is listed, “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden” will suffice.

Media Contact

Will Lerner (he/him)
Communications Manager
(503) 542-9351 (office)
wlerner@japanesegarden.org

About Portland Japanese Garden 

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America.

The post Gift a Japanese Garden for the Holidays appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore., United States—September 23, 2024—Portland Japanese Garden is thrilled to present its final new art exhibition of the year with Kintsugi: The Restorative Art of Naoko Fukumaru in the attraction’s Pavilion and Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Galleries from September 28 through January 27, 2025. Kintsugi is an ancient method of mending damaged ceramics using urushi (natural lacquer) dusted with powdered gold. This timely exhibition will explore universally resonant themes of healing through the artwork of kintsugi artist and master conservator Naoko Fukumaru.

Fukumaru has over 20 years of experience as a professional ceramic and glass conservator at the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and other institutions in the U.S., Europe, Egypt, and Japan. She was born in Kyoto, Japan to a four-generation antique auction house company, and grew up around artwork. Her work as a kintsugi artist is rooted in the belief that what is broken can be beautiful, and in the transformative power of healing spiritual wounds as well as ceramic artworks.

“I first visited Portland Japanese Garden in November 2022,” shares Fukumaru. “I realized that care and love are the main ingredients of this place. It was unmistakable that staff, volunteers, visitors, and all who were involved in this Garden, were giving so much love, care, passion, and pride here. This truly resonates with my kintsugi artwork. This method of mending is seen as enhancing the beauty and value of objects by celebrating their imperfection and impermanence. This approach is the opposite of traditional Western ceramic restoration, in which the damage to the work is sought to be hidden, which I studied and practiced for 25 years.”

To read more of Naoko Fukumaru’s thoughts on her work and the philosophy behind it, click here.

Visual Assets

Images can be found in this Dropbox folder. Photographer name is in the file name. Please stylize the credit as “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by [fill in name].” If no photographer is listed, “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden” will suffice. Additional information about the names of the artwork are in a document in the Dropbox folder.

Images of Portland Japanese Garden in fall can be found here.

Media Contact

Will Lerner, Communications Manager
(503) 542-9351 (office)
wlerner@japanesegarden.org

About Portland Japanese Garden  

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America. 

The post Portland Japanese Garden Presents Kintsugi: The Restorative Art of Naoko Fukumaru appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore. – June 24, 2024 – Behind the Shoji, opening Saturday, 6/29 and running through Monday, 9/2 in Portland Japanese Garden’s Pavilion Gallery, is one of the Garden’s most beloved summer traditions. An annual show and sale of Japanese and Japanese-inspired wares, visitors can peruse and purchase from a variety of curated items often unavailable short of a visit to Japan itself. What makes this elevated and distinctive shopping experience stand out is the level of care and the miles traveled that go into determining which items will be available.

Garden staff travel to Japan yearly to attend the Tokyo International Gift Show and meet with craftspeople in their studios and stores to curate the unique items for Behind the Shoji. In doing so, this helps the Garden not only provide support to the livelihoods of craftspeople, but also offer Garden visitors a unique product selection that helps create a greater understanding of Japanese culture.

Guests to Shoji this year will see a range of different goods and wares including some captivating new items that feature kinpaku, or gold leaf. Among the items available for sale will be incense holders, jewelry, and glass vases that showcase this stunning aesthetic. For those interested in adding a bright pop of color to their home, a new item available this year will be temari, or handballs. Temari were introduced to Japan from China around the seventh century—they are cotton ball intricately hand-wrapped in threads. They are reflective of a style that originated in Japan’s Edo era (1603-1868) and are customarily given to daughters ahead of their wedding to wish them a long and happy marriage.

Behind the Shoji headlines a summer filled with many exciting opportunities, including:

• Tanabata, the Star Festival on Sunday, 7/7 | One of the five seasonal festivals celebrated in Japan since the 8^th century, the Star Festival at Portland Japanese Garden will feature musical performances, storytelling of the Tanabata folk legend, and wish writing, in which visitors can write a wish and add it to the colorful display of tanzaku (wish strips) on bamboo in the Garden’s Crumpacker Bamboo Allee.
• Painting with Thread: The Art and Culture of Fukusa | Commemorating the recent donation of The Peter and Beverly Sinton Japanese Gift and Altar Cover Collection, this exhibition showcases the art of gift-giving through the beauty of fukusa. Fukusa are ornate textiles traditionally made of Japanese silk that were draped over formal gifts and presented amongst prominent families during the Edo period (1603 – 1868) through Taishō period (1912-1926) in Japan. This is the first time this underappreciated Japanese art form has been exhibited at the Garden.
• Beat the Heat of Summer | Situated at a higher elevation than much of its home city, Portland Japanese Garden is a great way to get outside and stay cooler than in other parts of the area. With shaded paths, bubbling streams, and frolicking koi, the Garden is the perfect place to get some time in nature away from higher temperatures.

More Information

Hours

• 10:00am-6:00pm (last entry at 6:00pm) | Wednesday – Monday, closed Tuesdays 
  • Behind the Shoji is open during Garden hours
  • Tickets to the Garden can be purchased at tickets.japanesegarden.org 
• The event page for Behind the Shoji can be found here 
• More about Behind the Shoji can be read here

Admission

• Adult: $21.95
• Senior (65+): $18.95
• Student (with ID): $17.95
• Youth (6-17): $15.95
• Child (5 and under): Free
• Members: Free

Visual Assets

Images can be found in this Dropbox folder. Photographer name is in the file name. Please stylize the credit as “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by [fill in name].”  If no photographer is listed, “Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden” will suffice.

Media Contact

Will Lerner | Communications Manager | (503) 542-9351 | wlerner@japanesegarden.org  

About Portland Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America. 

The post Gold Leaf and Bright Colors Featured Among Hard-to-Find Japanese Wares Available at Portland Japanese Garden’s Behind the Shoji Summer Marketplace appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore., United States—June 3, 2024—Led by Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden, an American nonprofit organization and cultural institution based in Portland, Oregon, 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.

Yoko Ono’s interactive artwork Wish Tree invites guests to reflect and write their wishes for peace, which then get tied to the tree’s branches. Over time, the Wish Trees become adorned with these hopeful missives, evolving into a visual representation of the community’s collective aspirations for peace in our time. This interactive art, created by Ono in 1996, has collected more than two million wishes from visitors worldwide. After the installations conclude, the wishes will be returned to Ono and continue in connection with the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER in Reykjavík, Iceland. Acclaimed artist and peace advocate Yoko Ono’s artistic contributions have continued since the early 1960s. Her creative practice explores themes of love, non-violence, and human connection and is characterized by its emphasis on participatory work. Ono’s art invites visitors to engage in completing the artwork. Activating introspection, imagination, and connection, this participatory process can serve as a catalyst for personal and social transformation.

Portland Japanese Garden was founded in 1963 with the hopes that, through a public and authentically-crafted garden, the wounds of World War II could begin to heal. The Wish Tree represents what our organization has now witnessed for more than 60 years—we can bridge divides and foster dialogue through the intersection of nature, art, and cultural immersion. Through the organization’s sibling organization and global cultural initiative Japan Institute, it is honored to partner with some of the finest gardens globally, the Nobel Peace Center, and Yoko Ono’s studio in this meaningful endeavor that demonstrates how the call for peace is understood universally, although it may be expressed in many different forms.

“The Wish Tree is a suitable artistic representation of what Portland Japanese Garden stands for—the human connection with nature, art, peace and others,” comments Steve Bloom, CEO of Portland Japanese Garden & Japan Institute.

“For Yoko Ono, the message of peace and art go hand in hand,” comments Kjersti Fløgstad, Executive Director at Nobel Peace Center in Norway. “In her creative universe, people can explore their own hopes and wishes for a more peaceful world – and hope is something we really need in the time we live in.”

“As a park created to commemorate the construction of Kansai Culture and Science City, Keihanna Commemorative Park has a role as an international and local hub of exchange. We are therefore very happy that this park will be one of the relay points connecting the local with the global through the Wish Tree project,” comments Tomoki Kato, President and Representative Director of Ueyakato Landscape in Japan.

“We are convinced that the Wish Tree will deepen the values of cultural connection that inspired the creation of Kokoro no Niwa while, at the same time, bringing the community together as it expresses its dreams and wishes for peace with the world. Once in place, Wish Tree does not belong to the artist or a chosen few but rather becomes a common good that expresses shared belonging,” comments Romina Valentino Benavides, Executive Coordinador, General Management, Compañía Minera del Pacífico in Chile.

“The Wish Tree installation supports Johannesburg Botanical Garden’s efforts to foster an appreciation of nature among the local community and positively impact the landscape through reforestation,” comments Bishop Ngobeli, Manager of Protected Areas at Johannesburg Botanical Garden in South Africa.

Digital Assets

Click here for images and information. Credit instructions are provided in the Dropbox.

Media Contact

Will Lerner, Communications Manager
Portland Japanese Garden & Japan Institute
Email: wlerner@japanesegarden.org
Phone: 1-503-542-9351

More About the Participating Organizations

The post SPREAD PEACE: Wish Tree by Yoko Ono Global Interactive Art Installation to Open at Portland Japanese Garden appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore., United States—March 11, 2024—Beginning on March 16^th, Portland Japanese Garden will debut its first new art exhibition of 2024. Titled Vision of Place, this show running through June 10^th, will feature stunning photography from Portland’s sister city of Sapporo and the prefecture it is the capital of: Hokkaido.

In 1959, Portland and Sapporo entered one of the earliest and most meaningful sister city relationships between the U.S. and Japan in the aftermath of World War II. Sapporo and its people were highly instrumental in the founding of Portland Japanese Garden. Their generosity can be seen throughout the Garden, most notably through our impressive 18-foot and two-ton Sapporo Pagoda Lantern (image included in assets below).

Vision of Place will feature two different exhibits that capture the beauty of this part of northern Japan:

Shashin: Photographic Frontiers of Hokkaido

In our Pavilion Gallery, guests will see work from The North Finder, a Hokkaido-based group of photographers with the mission to “raise the image of Hokkaido through photography and help people to know Hokkaido more deeply.” The work of 23 photographers will present the diversity of natural environments, distinctive seasons, and notable sites of Portland’s sister city from the perspective of the people who live there. This will be the first ever show The North Finder has held in the United States.

Quiet Reflections of Hokkaido Winter: Photography by Sandra Chandler

Connecting the perspective of Hokkaido with Portland is an exhibition of local artist Sandra Chandler, which is exhibited in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. Chandler is a passionate photographer and longtime supporter of Portland Japanese Garden, serving as the organization’s Foundation Board Chairperson. Traveling the world using her designer’s eye, Chandler’s photography will showcase the essence of the serene winter landscape of Japan’s northernmost island.

Vision of Place will be on display in the Pavilion Gallery and Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center in Portland Japanese Garden from March 16^th to June 10^th.

Quick Facts on the Portland-Sapporo Sister City Relationship

• In the 1950s it was reported by The Oregonian that Portland was considering a sister city relationship with two cities: Sapporo and Shizuoka.
• In addition to the Sapporo Pagoda Lantern, which has been in our Strolling Pond Garden since 1964, Sapporo commissioned and donated a sculpted water fountain by Oregon artist Don Wilson in 1988 in honor of Portland Japanese Garden’s 25^th anniversary. It is next to the Pavilion.
• The City of Portland has donated a water fountain to Sapporo – a Benson bubbler in the city’s Odori Park near the Sapporo TV Tower.
• In 2019, Portland Japanese Garden CEO Steve Bloom joined Mayor Ted Wheeler’s official delegation to Sapporo and presented on behalf of the Garden a hand-crafted replica of our Peace Lantern. It stands today in the Japanese city’s Nakajima Park.
• More about the sister-city relationship and our Sapporo Pagoda Lantern can be read here.

Visual Assets

Images can be found in this Dropbox folder. Caption and photographer information is included in a document. Please give courtesy to Portland Japanese Garden.

Media Contact

Will Lerner | Communications Specialist | (503) 542-9351 | wlerner@japanesegarden.org

About Portland Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland and the state of Oregon, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and among the foremost Japanese cultural organizations in the world.  

About Japan Institute

Japan Institute was established in 2022 as a global cultural initiative of Portland Japanese Garden. This sibling organization is the programmatic arm of Portland Japanese Garden, allowing us to share and expand our cultural programs more broadly around the world, deepen international partnerships, and continue to engage diverse people in shared experiences and conversations about peace, beauty, and connection of nature. Japan Institute consists of three centers: Global Center for Culture and Art, International Exchange Forum, and International Japanese Garden Training Center. 

Portland Japanese Garden and Japan Institute share the mission: 

Inspiring Harmony & Peace

The post Portland Japanese Garden Celebrates 65th Anniversary of Sister-City Relationship with Sapporo, Japan in New Art Exhibition appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

PORTLAND, Ore.—February 29, 2024—Summer in Portland, Oregon is something everyone should experience at least once. With long days, temperate weather, and a treasure trove of festivals, shows, and culinary offerings, the Rose City has a lot to offer for those looking to plan their adventures in the coming months.

Often remarked upon for a natural splendor not often seen in major American cities, Portland is also a city of gardens, with an incredible breadth and depth among these public jewels. While planning a vacation this summer, Portland’s vibrant arts, culture, food, and shopping experiences will be excellently paired with visits to these spaces that reconnect you to nature and can even introduce you to the diverse cultural heritages that informed their creation.

Portland has faced many of the challenges seen by most of the nation in recent years, but it has always been a community of caring and nurturing people. This quality is revealed through its breathtaking gardens, spaces that can only exist through successive generations through care and consideration of those who follow.

Included among the city’s many outstanding gardens:

Portland Japanese Garden

Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization and public garden founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. With a mission of inspiring harmony and peace, Portland Japanese Garden was founded on the ideals mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. It has been proclaimed by many visiting dignitaries and experts to be the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. Considered to be among the foremost Japanese cultural organizations in the world, this summer the Garden will offer joyous cultural festival celebrations, intriguing art exhibitions, and demonstrations and presentations that highlight the many gifts of Japanese culture.

Lan Su Chinese Garden

Lan Su Chinese Garden was constructed by skilled Chinese artisans from Suzhou, China and it stands as one of the most genuine Chinese gardens beyond China’s borders. Beyond its role as a picturesque botanical garden, Lan Su is a creative marvel—a profoundly inspiring experience rooted in a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition, seamlessly blending art, history, architecture, design, and nature. With over 500 cultural and botanical programs annually, Lan Su serves as a portal to authentic Chinese culture and a platform for Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Hoyt Arboretum

Hoyt Arboretum is Portland’s museum of living trees. Straddling 189 ridgetop acres in Washington Park, it is home to a global collection with over 6,000 trees and 2,300 species. Nationally-accredited collections are grouped taxonomically, and planted along 12 miles of trails which are free and open to the public to explore 365 days a year. Maps and knowledgeable staff and volunteers in the Visitor Center, to guide you to favorite summertime spots like the Redwood Deck or the Overlook Viewpoint. Hoyt Arboretum thrives thanks to a partnership between Portland Parks & Recreation, and the membership-based nonprofit Hoyt Arboretum Friends. 

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is a sanctuary of tranquil beauty for the wellbeing of all. A unique 9.5-acre woodland garden situated on a spring-fed lake, Crystal Springs is a stunning urban escape any time of the year. April through June, when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom, the garden is a riot of color. Surrounded by Crystal Springs lake and interior lagoons, the garden attracts an array of wildlife. In fall and winter, trees and shrubs add interesting color and interesting structure. This tranquil setting makes it easy to forget that downtown Portland is only minutes away.

Leach Botanical Garden

Leach Botanical Garden For four decades, Leach Botanical Garden has welcomed visitors to experience an urban oasis in outer SE Portland. The Garden was initially established by John and Lilla Leach and was gifted to the City of Portland. In 1983 the non-profit org Leach Garden Friends formed a partnership with the city to care for the Garden and open it to the public. In 2023 close to 30,000 visitors came to the 17-acre Garden to experience a unique mix of cultivated horticultural spaces, native habitat restoration areas, historic buildings, and one-of-a-kind experiences, such as our aerial tree walk. Guests enjoy nature fairs, concerts, celebrations of life, art workshops, guided tours, and other programs that further our mission and connect with diverse communities.

Portland’s International Rose Test Garden

Portland’s International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park, part of the Portland Parks & Recreation system, is one of the top free attractions in the state and an iconic global destination. A serene, sensory swirl of fragrance and relaxation, the world-famous garden has more than 10,000 individual rose bushes, representing over 610 different rose varieties. The roses typically bloom from late May through October (depending on weather). The 6 plus acre garden has a panoramic view of the city and garden is used for; Weddings, proposals, photography, and tranquil reflections are commonplace in the Int’l Rose Garden.

The Grotto

The Grotto, a peaceful Catholic sanctuary in NE Portland, celebrates its centennial this year. With gardens open daily, The Grotto welcomes visitors from all around the world and all walks of life. Occupying 54 acres of gardens and forest, The Grotto is truly an oasis in the city. The lower level is free to all throughout the year. There is a small admission fee to visit the Upper Gardens, where guests take an elevator up a 110-foot cliff and enjoy a stroll along the scenic paths. Everyone is welcomed at The Grotto.

Media Contacts

Portland Japanese Garden:
Will Lerner | Communications Specialist | wlerner@japanesegarden.org | (503) 542-9351 (desk)

Lan Su Chinese Garden:
Molly Bailen | Assistant Marketing Manager | molly@lansugarden.org | (503) 740-2266

Hoyt Arboretum:
Rebekah Golden | Communications Specialist | rebekah@hoytarboretum.org | (503) 894-6883 (desk)

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden:
Brandon Baker | Executive Director | brandon@crystalspringsgardenpdx.org | (971) 401-2219 (desk)

Leach Botanical Garden:
Lisa Santo | Operations Manager | lsanto@leachgarden.org | (503) 208-6030

Portland’s International Rose Test Garden:
Mark Ross | Public Information Officer | Mark.Ross@portlandoregon.gov | (503) 823-6634 (cell)

The Grotto:
Jane Tokito | Deputy Director | Jtokito@thegrotto.org | (503) 515-9142 (cell)

Digital Assets

Portland Japanese Garden:
“Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by [fill in name].” (Photographer name is in the file name.)

Lan Su Chinese Garden:
“Courtesy of Lan Su Chinese Garden.”

Hoyt Arboretum:
“Redwood Trail, Hoyt Arboretum, Portland, Oregon, August 2021. Courtesy of Hoyt Arboretum Friends, photo by Mike Drewry.”

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden:
“Courtesy of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Photo by Ken Goldman.”

Leach Botanical Garden:
“Courtesy of Leach Botanical Garden, photo by Tamra Tiemeyer.” 

Portland’s International Rose Test Garden:
“Courtesy of Portland’s International Rose Test Garden.”

The Grotto:
“Courtesy of The Grotto.”

The post This Summer You Should Visit Portland, Oregon: The City of Gardens appeared first on Portland Japanese Garden.

Below is a press release announcing the appointment of Lisa Christy to the role of Executive Director of Portland Japanese Garden. To read a version in English, please click here.

2024年2月5日　米国オレゴン州ポートランド市に所在するポートランド日本庭園は、首席執行役員にリサ・クリスティーを任命した。2014年に同園に入職。過去5年間は、上席執行役員（渉外・広報担当）。

クリスティーは、著名な広告代理店 ワイデン＋ケネディで受賞歴もある数々の広告キャンペーンを10年近く率いた後、2014年にマーケティング・コミュニケーション担当ディレクターとしてポートランド日本庭園に参画。現在、オレゴン日米協会理事会の理事（無償）も兼任する。2018年には上席執行役員（渉外・広報担当）に昇格し、同園会員関係、マーケティング、コミュニケーション、資金調達、地域コミュニティとの関係構築を牽引した。この間、5.5エーカー（約2.2ヘクタール）から12エーカー（約4.9ヘクタール・東京ドームとほぼ同規模）への敷地拡張プロジェクトに着手したため一時閉園をよぎなくされた2016年を含め、毎年の入園者数の記録を更新させ続けた。また、新型コロナウイルスの世界的大流行という難局を乗り切るための資金調達およびコミュニケーション活動を率い、組織の安定に大きく貢献した。

クリスティーは、庭園を訪問したいと思うすべての人がアクセスできるようにという信念のもと、低所得世帯に適用される「ムーンブリッジ会員（年会費 $20）」制度や、フードスタンプ（補助的栄養支援プログラム）受給者に適用される「アーツフォーオール（入園料 $5）」制度など、庭園への門戸を広く開くプログラムを主導した。

クリスティーは首席執行役員として、これまでの管轄に加え、同園の日常業務全般を統括する。これには入園関係、ギフトショップ、カフェ、施設管理、セキュリティーなど、ゲスト・エクスペリエンス全般に関わる部署の指揮も含まれる。また、引き続き、2005年より同園のCEOを務めるスティーブ・ブルームの直属として、庭の維持管理や設計を監督する執行役員（日本庭園文化・技術担当）の鳥居ヒューゴおよび同園の文化・教育プログラム、アート展示などを率いる上席執行役員（文化・芸術・教育担当）の中西玲人（あきひと）を始めとする、他の幹部スタッフと協力し同園を率いる。

以下はスティーブ・ブルーム（ポートランド日本庭園 CEO）による談話：

「クリスティーのリーダーシップ、戦略的ビジョン、コミュニケーションスキルは、ポートランド日本庭園が世界クラスの公共庭園、文化施設、非営利団体として更なる高みを目指すにあたり重要なものです。彼女はこれまでに、ゲスト・エクスペリエンスやアウトリーチ活動を大幅に改善し、コミュニティーとの絆を育んできました。鋭い洞察力と思いやり溢れる姿勢を強みとするクリスティーは、庭園が『 inspiring harmony and peace（調和と平和をもたらす）』という使命を果たしていくにあたり、必要不可欠な人材です。」

以下はリサ・クリスティー（ポートランド日本庭園 首席執行役員）が就任に寄せた談話：

「ポートランド日本庭園の首席執行役員に任命され光栄に思います。この10年間、私は日本庭園が地域社会にとってどれほど大きな意味を持つか目の当たりにしてきました。60年以上もの間、人々の心に安らぎを与え、その門をくぐる人々に静寂と美と安らぎの場を提供してきた組織で働けることを嬉しく思います。同園の高い基準を維持しつつ、更なる発展を目指して、素晴らしいスタッフやボランティアや理事と共に努力していく所存です。」

写真使用について

写真はこちらからダウンロードしてください。使用の際、クレジットは次のとおり記載してください。

• ファイルに写真家の名が明記されている場合：

Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden, photo by 写真家名

• 写真家の名が明記されていない場合：

Courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden

メディア担当

ポートランド日本庭園                              Portland Japanese Garden

コミュニケーション・スペシャリスト     Communication Specialist

ウィル・ラーナー                                      Will Lerner

Tel +1 (503) 542-9351

wlerner@japanesegarden.org

ポートランド日本庭園（米国オレゴン州）
第二次世界大戦が残した日米間の深い溝を文化交流によって埋め、相互理解を一層深めることを目的として、1963年に創立されたアメリカ合衆国の公益財団法人（501(c)3）です。ポートランド市のみならずオレゴン州のシンボルでもあるこの庭園は、平和ならびに多文化間の相互理解という理想に基づいて設立されました。創立から60年を経て、庭園は日本国外で最も本格的な日本庭園の一つと言われ、今や世界でも有数の日本文化機関へと成長しました。

ジャパン・インスティテュート

ポートランド日本庭園のグローバルな文化的イニシアチブとして、2022年に発足しました。この姉妹組織はポートランド日本庭園が提供する各種プログラムの中核となり、その活動を通して、私どもの取り組みや文化紹介プログラムをより広く世界に向けて共有・拡大し、国際的なパートナーシップを深めることで、平和、美、自然のつながりについての共通の体験や対話の場を広げてまいります。ジャパン・インスティテュートは、Global Center for Cultural and Art（略称：文化芸術センター）、International Exchange Forum（略称：国際フォーラム）、International Japanese Garden Training Center（略称：トレーニングセンター）の3つのセンターで成り立ちます。

ポートランド日本庭園とジャパン・インスティテュートは

「Inspiring Harmony & Peace」

調和と平和をもたらすというミッションを共有します。

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