This tranquil spot in Portland’s Washington Park has been an oriental-style oasis for weary city-dwellers for almost half a century.
The beautifully designed and maintained Portland Japanese Garden in the city’s West Hills offers a mesmerising escape from city life. Any visitor to the city interested in Japanese culture or simply looking for a quiet spot to relax for an afternoon should head to this pretty and peaceful garden in Washington Park, just outside the city centre.There are five distinct areas and it’s worth setting aside at least a couple of hours to experience them all. Visitors come to the garden at all times of the year to enjoy its unique atmosphere of peace and contemplation. In spring, the garden resembles a Japanese painting as the cherry trees come into blossom, while the changing colour palette of autumn is a magnet for photographers and artists.Seasonal change is an important part of Japanese culture and the Flat Garden is where it’s most obvious, with azaleas in spring and golden maple leaves in the autumn. The Natural Garden contains moss-covered stones, symbolising the harmony between nature’s will and human creation.The Sand and Stone area contains rake-drawn lines, just as you’d find in the Zen gardens of Japanese monasteries. The largest area is the Strolling Pond Garden, where you’ll find a 1,000-year-old pagoda lantern, stones in the shape of the Big Dipper constellation and the hand-made moon bridge.The Tea Garden is a particularly popular attraction and the tea ceremonies held every third Saturday offer a unique glimpse of Japanese culture. Many Japanese cultural events are also marked in the gardens throughout the year. The New Year’s and Moon Viewing festival celebrations are beautiful affairs while the Obon ceremony is the time when families honour their dead.As well as the cultural offerings there are always gardening workshops being held as well as plenty of artworks on display thanks to the Art in the Garden program. There are also tours of the garden three times a day, the price of which is included in the admission fee.The garden’s open noon to 4 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays.
