Portland Japanese Garden

Having been to some pretty awesome gardens and parks throughout Japan I was very curious as to what an Americanized version would be like. Once again my trio of kids wanted to veto this stop on our trip however I had the keys to the car. Ha ha ha suckers you’re going like it or not!
Be prepared for a short invigorating uphill hike from the parking lot above the rose test gardens
below to the parks entrance. Or if needed or your feeling lazy hop a tram up to the parks entrance. This sucker is at the top of this end of Portland’s giant Washington Park. If your a hiker Washington park is a gem you will not believe is within city limits. You’ll feel a lifetime away.
The garden is not huge, but very thoroughly planned and its manicured trails are very well thought out to give you many vantage points of prime viewing (pics too) along the way. But then that’s to be expected in a Japanese garden.
From the obligatory totems and koi pond to the beautiful waterfall and rock garden this is an awesome eyeful of viewing fun. You’ll wish you too had a few extra acres in your backyard to build such a beautiful haven for relaxation. No kidding had I not had kids in tow I would have surely found myself a nook for a serious meditation session.
Another great thing about this park is the quiet. No road noise or touristy audial distraction the Zen is abode throughout the entire park. You’ll feel it, I did.
By the end of the trip my kids all had an enlightened view of a park they didn’t want to visit and all said it was cool and they’re glad we stopped.
Ok my only bummer was the $ 9.50 entry fee. For a public garden? Really? Whatever…
Awesome gardens worth the charge.
I’ll be back, you should go too.

We didn’t visit at the ideal time of year, but we were still very impressed by everything the property had to offer. The admission is reasonable for how much there is to see and how much time one can spend here. They have plenty of parking and the distance from the lot to entrance is a short walk.
From looking at photos others have posted it looks like you can return during every season and get a different experience each time. The gardens and exhibits were well maintained. There were clear walkways throughout making it an easy walk for all ages. On cold days the walkways can be a bit icy, but if it isn’t cold then it’s an easy walk.
I didn’t do much research before visiting so I went in without knowing what to expect. Many people had told me it was a cool spot before visiting though. It definitely exceeded my expectations since I didn’t know much going in.

The Japanese Garden is right down the road from the International Rose Garden — parking is communal for the whole park so you can just pay for all-​day parking and be able to check out multiple attractions in one day. There’s also a loop shuttle that takes you to all the major spots so you don’t have to walk — super convenient!
We were able to catch the Garden on their VERY LAST day before they closed for renovations — it was totally meant to be! The Garden is located uphill of the main entrance so you do have to climb stairs (or ramps if you have baby strollers or are in wheelchairs) — no elevators/​escalators!
The garden itself is SO expansive that you could literally spend the whole day here if you wanted to — there are so many great spots for amazing photos and it’s just nice to sit and relax at various spots in the garden. It’s divided into several parts and every section has something special to show!
The admission is VERY reasonable for what you can get out of this experience — we got married in a Japanese garden but it’s much much smaller than Portland’s and costs more to enter on a normal day… so this was definitely a special treat for us!

Portland Japanese Garden is green without limit and yields many fruits other than peace, harmony and tranquility. The beauty of the Moon Bridge made in crane stones is beyond condition; no matter it is spring or autumn; it is filled with love. If you keep your heart open at Strolling Pond Garden, your sorrow can become your greatest ally in your life’s search for love and wisdom. Loveliness surrounds us; we need to be strolling in Natural Garden built in Machai style to know it. Earth is a task garden; once you step through the Antique Gate, you embrace the life teacher of Buddhism, Shinto and Taoism.

Highlights: The picturesque scenery ranging from waterfalls (albeit man-​made) to koi ponds, rock gardens, trees, and a cityscape view of Portland. My friend and I wandered on over here from the International Rose Test Garden during our tour of Washington Park. I have to admit, I found the scenery mesmerizing and calming; a nice change of pace from the city. I truly appreciated everything we had to see here.
Downside: It is quite pricey to get into these gardens. I entered with a ‘student’ discount at $ 7.75 (although I had no such ID on hand… They are usually very lenient rewarding you the discount if you look to be student age; I will forever look exceptionally young and be carded everywhere I go! :D). Also, the trek up here is a steep one and while I don’t mind a hike, the price to get in here was not worth the climb especially when all they offer are the occasional guided tour and (supposedly) other events most likely during the peak season/​springtime.
Upside: My friend’s entry fee was FREE with Bank of America… Just an FYI, so be sure to flash your credit card if you are with them.
Tips: (1) Kill two birds with one stone and visit here after the rose gardens; (2) Portland is annoying and has those ‘Pay to Park’ notices almost everywhere (aka Portland hates motorists). Be smart like us and park in the turnout up the hill before making your way down to the lots. You have to deal with the incline going back to the car, but it’s a short distance. It really was nothing, but I know how lazy people can get.
Overall: We were able to appreciate everything we saw because we didn’t pay nearly as much for admission, and paid nothing for parking. If you can get away with this, you should definitely plan a visit especially if you’re doing the tourist thing.

Short Story: An awesome walk to see an American run Japanese Tea Garden…
Long Story: So we came to this place during the morning on a Saturday and it was a bit hard to find. The parking lot is divided into lots of different places to go to so you have to be careful and look at the signs. The tea garden is a bit hidden and you have to take a free bus to get up there.
Upon getting to the gate you pay the entrance fee and off you go! The tea garden is not that big and we spent about 2 hours there. We saw lots of trees, bushes, sights, Japanese style housing, and even a large koi fish pond! The place was impeccably maintained… by Americans and not traditional Japanese people. Not that it matters… but just highlighting the fact.
The place has a zen like calm which is a good place to go to from all the commotion of our everyday lives. The koi fish pond was an especially good feature as there were tons of fish and all quite well fed… it made me want sushi!
There are two gift shops there… and you can buy very expensive things like paintings, art, and crystals. Or you can buy pocky, totoro plushes, and pokemon items! LOL… on the diversity.
Verdict: I might be back…

Definitely check this spot out if you’re in town. It’s beautiful and serene. Located up the hill from the international rose garden, you can easily visit both attractions back to back. There’s an admission price of $ 10/​person for the garden. You’ll probably spend an hour or two here if you walk through each path and take pictures. Some people sit down and hang out for longer.

Meh. I knew from the reviews and my friends’ suggestions that this wouldn’t be mind-​blowing. I went in with low expectations. This is a tiny garden and costs $ 9.50 per person for admission. It’s very touristy but unlike the one in San Francisco, it really doesn’t offer much. I’d highly recommend going to the FREE international rose test garden next door instead and call it a day. Luckily, when we went, there was a special exhibition of flower arrangements, which made up for it. Otherwise, I probably would’ve rated it 2 stars.
It takes about 20 minutes to walk through the whole thing.

Supposedly the largest Japanese garden in the US, it’s definitely worthy of a visit if you are in Portland.
I have been to several in Tokyo and they are larger and probably «better» in some other way that non-​experts like myself cannot pinpoint, but this one is good enough that it’s not a shameful facsimile of the «real» thing like, say, Taco Bell is of Mexican food.

I’m really excited I came here, on such a lovely day, especially with the acclaimed international rose garden just 5 minutes walking distance away. To be honest, I wasn’t totally blown away by it, since I’ve visited many a Japanese-​gardens in the past, but that does not mean that it wasn’t a beautiful and serene site to behold with numerous cute photo opportunities. I really liked the sand garden and the koi pond and was able to sit underneath the willow tree and feel the breeze without being overheated. It is not hard to see how much dedication and attention went to the caring of every natural man-​made structure in this garden. The waterfall may be man-made…but hell, it’s still beautiful and tranquil.
I only wished I could have stayed longer to take in all of the views, except, like the theme of Portland, I had to rush to return to the car to avoid any parking tickets. Good luck finding parking… I recommend coming during the weekday. I think the adult tickets were about $ 7 – 10, depending on whether you brought your school ID.

Beautiful tranquil place with areas to sit and take in the amazing scenery. The garden is a little smaller than expected, but worth the fee to get in. Largest coy I’ve ever seen. Paths are hard for strollers so I would not recommend. Narrow and wet in places.

I highly recommend taking the free guided tours here, unless you’ve studied Japanese gardens in the past and have a general sense of how they work. Our volunteer guide was very thorough and engaging; she’s studied Japanese gardens before and you can tell she’s very passionate about it.
Worth noting is that the head gardener comes from Fukuoka prefecture. His family’s been tending to Japanese gardens for generations so this place is frikken legit. The Japanese are all about details, so the placement of stones and any patterns you see are all very deliberate and symbolize something.
The gardens also have this special type of gravel, originally found near Kyoto. Apparently this type of gravel is no longer allowed to leave Japan, and Portland was one of the last few places outside of Japan to be able to import it.
If you have some time after the 45 minute tour, I do suggest walking around the gardens by yourself and taking a moment to appreciate the serenity of it all. If you can take a seat and just breathe it all in– even better.

Must see in Portland. The garden is unique, calming, and beautiful. Tickets are about $ 9.50 for adults, but $ 7 something if you have a student ID.
The garden isn’t very big, so it would take you 1 – 2 hours to see the whole thing. It took us about an hour with pictures and all, but if you wanted to take more time experiencing the calm cooling atmosphere and gift shop, then plan for a about 1.5 hours.
It’s also right next to the Rose Garden, which is free to visit, so save about an hour for that as well.

Beautiful and tranquil garden!
It takes probably around an hour or so to walk around the grounds of this park. They offer free guided tours daily, which i found pretty interesting and informative.
There are a lot of beautiful viewpoints and sitting areas where you can stop and admire the scenery.

Wtf…
I probably should have done research about this place instead of wasting 18 $. I didn’t know this was a replica. All I knew was it was a must see. Btw, we could have brought our wallets with our student ID but didn’t previously know about that discount.
I’ve been to 3 different Japanese gardens in the Bay Area. Two which were actual estates and the one that wasn’t, had free entry. So Portland has a lot of expectation to beat.
I was very underwhelmed. On top of that, there’s different routes the are exits only or entrance only. We and some other people just said fuck it and went through. There wasn’t any information about the different areas. You could only find it on the brochure they hand after you get jipped that 9 $.
The only cool thing was there was a lady by the koi pond talking about the different koi. Some actual interaction and information.
This place is a definite SKIP. Not a must see. You could do without seeing it. I suggest going to SF/​SJ for the tea gardens. Bay Area does it right. Step it up Portland! 9 $ entry just to walk around and wonder? Get yourself together. And you have to pay to park.

Very meh for me. There were plenty of vaguely picturesque shots of scenery, sure, but none of it was particularly outstanding and most of it didn’t stand out to me as specifically Japanese — I felt like I was in any old nice garden, maybe throw in a koi pond here and a bonsai tree there. The main feature seemed to be the various trees and bushes, because there weren’t many other features otherwise. I suppose the bridge was nice.
This is just me being grumpy, but the garden also seems to obviously pander to the effort justification effect — if you come up from the Rose Test Garden, you have to trek up a fairly steep hill before arriving at the Japanese Garden, and by that point you’ve expended enough effort just getting there in the first place that of course you’re going to buy tickets to justify it.
But again, I’m just grumpy at how disappointing the garden was. Wasn’t worth my tenner. Spend the extra time at the incredible Rose Garden instead!

The short: Beautiful spot to view Japanese gardening practices in various landscapes
My friend and I were on this huge long walking journey, so we didn’t have to worry about parking. From what it looks like, people park at the bottom of the hill, and walk up. There is a bus that collects people at the bottom of the hill for those who aren’t able to walk up
The serenity of the garden is very peaceful. I enjoyed the water features, the rock garden with blooming cherry blossoms, and various platform houses to take in the serenity and simplicity of it all.
Although I paid the college rate for the ticket, I wouldn’t mind visiting this garden every time I come back to Portland.

I love Japanese culture and stuff so it only made sense for me to check this place out! I may sound biased, but bear with me lol.
If you are ever visiting Portland, this is one of the few places I would recommend on visiting since it has come up often when I was doing my own research of places to visit. There is just so much greenery and BEAUTIFUL things to take pictures of. I think I uploaded some of my pictures so check it out when you get the chance.
This garden was a lot bigger than the Chinese one which made sense since that one was in the downtown area while this was located much further away. Upon entering the place, it felt like I was transported to a different area. There was a sense of grace and tranquility as I explored the garden. You can see things like stone gardens, ponds with koi fish, and a small waterfall! My friends easily spent about 2 – 3 hours just getting immersed in the beauty of the place.
Definitely check this place out and when you do, be sure to have a nice camera to take lots of pictures! You can also visit the Rose Garden which is about 5 minutes away by walking.

A beautiful location to visit in Portland. A small city bus ride up the hill to a Japanese style gateway and then another small trek up another hill & you made it. Everything is serene here — come earlier so you can walk around the garden without others in your path. and to take pictures of course. A very picturesque place with great backgrounds.
We walked around the garden twice, once to enjoy every little detail and a second to take photos in spots that we thought were cool. Lots of great colors — especially on the bridge.
If you’re looking for serenity and zen in your life, this is the place to visit.
TIP: If you are a student, you get a discount on admission!

My favorite stop from my most recent visit to Portland this past January!
I came here with a friend on a Saturday right after we visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden. Both gardens were unique and special in their own way, but the Japanese Garden by far is my favorite out of the two. For one, it’s located in Washington Park above the Rose Gardens, whereas the Chinese Garden is smack dab in the middle of downtown and only a few blocks away from Voodoo Doughnut. Being high in the hills and away from everything complemented the tranquil ambiance of the garden.
[Speaking of keeping the peace — pets, use of cell phones (other than taking pictures I guess), food, beverages (other than water), and smoking are not allowed. I did have a box of doughnuts on me, and the employee at the ticket office kindly stored it in the office while I explored the garden.]
Like everything in Portland, getting there can be done via public transportation. My friend and I just took the bus from downtown. There is about an 11 minute walk from where the bus drops you off and the garden, but you can get in a wonderful scenic little «hike» that can easily be done in boots (or in my friend’s case, uggs). Also: no need to trek up the hill to the actual entrance. There is a free shuttle that will take visitors up to the top (it’s less than a 4 minute ride). Treat yo’self and take the shuttle before you walk around, why not? Plus, the seats are clean and comfortable!
My actual self– tour of the garden took 45mins-​1hr tops. The garden is composed of five different «mini-​gardens» — Flat Garden, Strolling Pond Garden, Tea Garden, Natural Garden, and the Sand & Stone Garden. In the Strolling Pond Garden you’ll encounter a beautiful waterfall (picture shown).
The Japanese Garden is a great way to spend an afternoon surrounded by the sereneness of nature and the Japanese aesthetic. Definitely a Portland must-​see!
Note: I recommend timing your visit when it’s rose season (June? July?). You pass through the Rose Test Garden on your way up to the garden. Unfortunately, it being January when I visited, none of the roses were in bloom):