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Portland Japanese Garden Travel Guide | Things to Do in Portland Oregon



Veronica Hill tours the Portland Japanese Garden in Oregon to learn more about this beautiful landscaping method.

Japanese gardens date back before the 8th century, when they were used by ancient rulers for prayer and contemplation. A garden in Japanese, called niwa, represents a pure and spiritual place.

The Portland Japanese Garden is one of the best examples of Eastern landscaping in North America, and well worth a visit.

Walk the serene bridges past streams and waterfalls, then follow quiet paths lined with flowers and trees, always changing with the seasons.

The Japanese rock garden, with its raked white sand and towering stones, suggests ocean waves crashing near sacred islands. This type of Japanese sand garden is often found in Zen monasteries.

Japanese Garden tea houses and pavilions are designed for complete views of the natural surroundings with sliding doors, large transparent windows and plenty of decking.

These offer great views of Japanese garden plants such as wisteria, iris, and vibrant red maple trees.

Stone and bronze lanterns light the pathways, which are often marked by water basins with bamboo drippers, used for ritual cleansing of the hands and mouth.

The Japanese water garden, marked by a meandering wooden plank bridge, is often lined with iris, and may include a waterfall, ever changing, yet always there.

Nearby, the Japanese garden bridge is a great lookout spot. In Japanese garden design, the bridges are usually arched and made from stone or wood in keeping with the natural elements of the garden. Sometimes, bridges are also used in dry landscapes.

To create a Japanese garden and learn more about Japanese garden designs, it helps to visit one in person.

To view a Japanese Garden in California, head to The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, or the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden in Long Beach.

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29 Comments

  4. Calnevor

    Hi Veronica. Thanks for this video. I went to Portland 3 years ago and is a wonderful city. I didn't go to the japanese garden because there was a short time to visit. Now thanks to yo I feel like traveling again.

  5. California Travel Tips

    Thanks for the kind comments! This was actually footage we shot on vacation last year and turned into a video after the fact. I wish I had more time there, but it was quite cold and our kids were ready to go home.

    I hope you do have time to visit the gardens some day. They are so peaceful, so beautiful. I could easily spend a whole day there.

    Thanks again!

    Veronica

  14. dodgingaces

    if i were to manifest my peacful side it would be through japanese land scaping, architecture, and philosophy.

  19. Portland Japanese Garden

    @TravUnderwood We do have koi fish in the large pond of our Stroll Garden section. Unfortunately their number has been reduced over the last couple years due to a combination of infection & severe weather. The gardeners plan to begin introducing new koi next year (giving us time to complete construction & repairs on the koi ponds this year). Thanks for your interest!

  25. California Travel Tips

    @raigekiman To view a Japanese Garden in California, head to The Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, the Whispering Pine Teahouse and Garden in Glendale, the Pine Wind Garden in Torrance, the UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden, the Japanese Garden at Descanso Gardens, or the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden in Long Beach.

  28. ajandiz

    @CaliforniaTravelTips there's always the Hagiwara Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, best time to go is right around March/April, place looks sweet then. They have free admission during certain days/hours, might want to check that out as it can save you a bit of cash.

  29. California Travel Tips

    @ajandiz Yes, thank you! I need to film some California gardens, but I just happened to be in Portland for this shoot. I love Japanese gardens. So peaceful and relaxing and beautiful!

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