Essential Reading List for Autumn 2017

Called dokusho no aki in Japanese, the colder days and longer nights of fall beckon us to read. Blog contributor Corinne Kennedy has compiled a list of non-fiction titles about Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

Fall, Japanese CultureCorinne KennedyOctober 20, 2017Japanese Culture, History

Thank you for a successful Moon Viewing!

Despite the afternoon starting with autumn like mist and breeze, our annual Moon Viewing on Saturday September 9th was another magical event.

An evening of music and dance performance, tea ceremonies, luminary lighting and haiku contest was enjoyed by over 300 guests this year.

Events, Japanese CultureChie IidaSeptember 18, 2017moon viewing, live music, haiku

The Magic of Trees: Architecture and Woodworking in Japan

This evolving “culture of wood” was very different from that of the West. In Japan, wood’s susceptibility to fire, moisture and extremes of weather was embraced – as was the notion of transience (setsuna).

Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden DesignCorinne KennedyJune 15, 2017Architecture, Woodworking, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden

Family Saturday + Free First Thursday Programs

In spring of 2017, the Seattle Japanese Garden launched Free First Thursday and Saturday Family Day programs to provide more regular opportunities for our community to engage with the garden and learn about horticulture, Japanese traditions, and the various arts inspired by our beautiful landscape.

Events, Japanese Culture, Visual ArtGuest UserMay 26, 2017Art, Japanese Culture

Juki Iida & Richard Yamasaki: Collaborating in Space & Time

The Seattle Japanese Garden was a collaborative work that involved a number of Japanese design team members. It was also, as this article examines, a unique collaboration between lead designer Juki Iida, and Richard Yamasaki, one of the Seattle landscape contractors hired to build it.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiApril 8, 2016Juki Iida, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Garden Design, History, Maple, pagoda, Sculpture, tea house, Moss, tree, Water, Stone, Japanese Pine

Nature versus Nurture in the Japanese Garden: A Gardener's Perspective

Visitors to the garden often comment on the splendor and beauty of nature and the care and attention that is obviously lavished on the garden. What they are observing and being moved by is the careful, intentional integration of nature and nurture.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiApril 8, 2016Seattle, Japanese Garden, gardening, Stone, Water, tree, Shrub, Moss, Pine, Maple, Azalea, Cherry, Plum, Crabapple

In Bloom: The Quietly Elegant Corylopsis

In early spring, the fragrant, luminous yellow flowers of Corylopsis appear before the leaves, and are held in short nodding spikes along the branches.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden DesignRumi TsuchihashiMarch 15, 2016Corylopsis, bloom, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Forsythia, Winter, Spring, Witch Hazel, Fragrant

Japanese Gardens: a Four Season Celebration of Fleeting Beauty

An appreciation for passing beauty is essential to fully experiencing the wonders of a Japanese garden in all four seasons.

In the Garden, Japanese Culture, Japanese Garden Design, Photography, VolunteersRumi TsuchihashiFebruary 12, 2016Spring, Seattle, Japanese Garden, Japan, Japanese Culture, Garden Design, haiku, event, Festival, bloom, tree, Shrub, Cherry, Plum, Peach, Camellia, Azalea, Wisteria, Summer, Iris, Hydrangea, Lotus, Fall, Maple, Ginko, Chrysanthemums, Winter, Pine, Bamboo, Moss