“If we are to preserve culture we must continue to create it" - Johan Huizinga
With a string of crowd-pleasing theme parks and pristine beaches, it might come as a surprise that Florida features one of North America’s top-notch Japanese gardens, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. Near the hustle-bustle of Miami and amidst the renowned suburban sprawl of Boca Raton and Delray Beach lies a 200-acre oasis of tranquility, Zen, and Japanese culture.
Having lived on the west coast of the United States before moving to the other extreme—South Florida, I was familiar with the region’s strong Japanese influence. From British Columbia, Canada down to San Diego, California, there are about twenty Japanese gardens on North America’s west coast. The memories of climbing the Japanese Tea Garden’s steep steps in San Francisco, the beautiful torii gates at the one in Portland, and the cherry blossoms at Seattle’s Japanese Garden are still fresh. There is even one on Hawaii’s Big Island too that we enjoyed visiting.
And believe it or not, I have vivid memories of visiting one in Tokyo as a teenager with my family - by far the most beautiful one I have ever seen.
The Pacific Northwest closely approximates the wet, misty weather of Japan. Not surprising that two of the most authentic and famous Japanese gardens - the Portland Japanese Garden and the Seattle Japanese Garden - are found in this region.
A family-friendly hidden gem
Exploring Florida with my traveling trio for almost two years now, I thought we had covered the best family-friendly attractions in South Florida. So when Morikami Museum Japanese Garden showed up under the Google search result “open during COVID-19 attraction Florida,” I had my mouth gaping in surprise.
Located in Palm Beach County of Florida, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is where visitors can enjoy sixteen acres of authentic Japanese gardens, a museum with rotating exhibits on Japanese art and culture, and celebrate one of the biggest lantern festivals in North America.
I met with resistance from the kids because strolling in a garden mindfully was not adventurous or exciting enough for them. They couldn't quite understand what they were going to do at a place that was not a nature hike, zoo, park, or playground?
But it is safe to say they loved it! Be sure to purchase fish food to feed the Koi fish with your admission tickets, and you won't regret it. From the time we walked across the first bridge on the garden’s1.2-mile rustic trail to the end where a gorgeous waterfall awaited us, the kids led the way. They fed all the Koi along the way, noticed the changing landscapes, and asked questions about several unique plants they had never encountered. This place was in no way boring.
Relish the beauty and recharge your senses as you stroll through every corner of the 16-acre garden that has been designed based on 1000-year old Japanese gardening philosophy. Most visitors come here for the calming effects of the peaceful natural surroundings, but the museum’s two complexes and the gardens offer visitors many activities and experiences to choose from:
Tea House that hosts traditional Japanese style tea ceremony on select Saturdays
Taiko drum performances
Japanese New Year Celebration
Calligraphy and Japanese art classes
Lantern Festival
Cornell Cafe: rated one of USA’s top three museum dining experience by Food Network
Koi feeding pond
Bonsai Garden and Bamboo Grove
Right outside the main museum building is a winding trail that takes you over ornate bridges, six gardens, each inspired by garden styles that evolved in Japan’s history.
Florida and Japan Connection
Each of the 7,000 artifacts in the main museum building is a story of Japanese culture and tradition. What stands out is the history of Yamato Colony, a group of Japanese farmers who arrived in what is now north Boca Raton to start farming on the land. However, each community member went back to Japan after their efforts were unsustainable, except for George Morikami. He donated the farming land to Palm Beach County to turn into a park. In 1977 the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens were opened to the public.
While experiencing the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens’ serenity, visitors can reflect upon the notable cultural contributions made by diverse immigrants seeking the American Dream in Florida.
While it was a surprise to learn about this community’s history and significance in Florida, the history of Japanese gardens across USA are even more impressive.
Widespread and Unique
Japanese Gardens became commonly found in North America post-WWII. These urban sanctuaries offer you a restorative experience and immense peace and tranquility as you mindfully stroll through rock gardens, flat gardens, stroll ponds, stepping stones, and ornate bridges.
Japanese gardens have been part of the American culture (and horticulture) for over a century and a half, with the first public garden in San Francisco in 1894. After strained political ties between the USA and Japan during WWII, there was a re-emergence of Japanese Gardens across the USA post-WWII to mend the two nations’ strained relations. This was done by weaving cultural ties mainly by creating Japanese Gardens and museums across the USA.
“Late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century World’s Fairs and expositions introduced millions of Americans to Japanese-style gardens. These much-heralded gardens also included tea houses, pagodas, pavilions, and arched bridges to showcase not only the architectural beauty of Japan but to educate Americans about Japanese culture.”**
Rockland, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; San Mateo, California; Delray Beach, Florida; Grand Rapids, Michigan; are just a few of the USA cities that are home to Japanese Gardens.
According to a survey conducted by Sukiya Living, a magazine dedicated to Japanese gardening, more than 300 Japanese gardens exist in the USA. More than twenty-five of them resemble their counterpart in Japan and see thousands of visitors every year. The philosophy behind a Japanese garden is that nature dictates the design and garden formation—asymmetrical patterns, natural water flow, and plants that grow naturally without much human intervention or planning.
Many prominent Japanese gardens in the USA have been created around guidelines that are authentic to Japan and date back more than a thousand-year. Whether it’s the rock gardens, the flat garden, or stepping stones, a Japanese garden’s uniqueness lies in its asymmetry and feeling of being in a valley of rolling hills that it evokes.
Of the many Japanese Gardens in the USA, and the Morikami Museum and Garden will take you back to rural Japan. In the year labeled as the “Year of the Pandemic,” with stress levels and anxiety at an all-time high, a visit to a Japanese garden near you will indeed evoke the forgotten feeling of peace and help you rediscover your Zen.
Have you visited a Japanese garden before?
** Excerpt from an article featured in DiscoverNikkie.org
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