Kadomatsu Workshop

Our first Kadomatsu Workshop was a tremendous success! Thanks to everyone who joined us to enjoy the morning creating their special arrangement. Our Staff and volunteers were happy to assist with making this terrific workshop possible. There was a lot of focus but even more fun! Each final arrangement was beautiful! We look forward to seeing everyone next year to celebrate the New Year with your own kadomatsu! 

See more photos from the workshop here.

December in the Garden

We welcomed many guests to the Garden this morning! Thank you for stopping by. It was a simply beautiful morning. The temps are cooler, the sun feels warm and pleasant, and a feeling of calm wraps around you as you stroll the path. Looking forward to entertaining holiday guests? Think about visiting the Garden! Looking for gift ideas? How about Garden Membership or Gift Cards for Tea Ceremony? We hope to see everyone on the path soon!

See more photos here.

Garden Lecture: Origami

This month's Origami Lecture was a great hit with everyone! The history was exciting but more than that, most everyone tried their hand at folding! Such a great amount of sharing with everyone to get it right. Thank goodness the experts, Doris and Diana, were there to set everyone on the right fold! It was lots of fun and the time flew by quickly. Perhaps a bit of practice is in order now?!

See more photos from the lecture here.

JFG 10-Year Anniversary Celebration

Many, many thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate our first 10 years in the Garden yesterday! The day was glorious with just a touch of chill in the air. The drumming, dancing, magic, and crafts were just wonderful. Docent tours were definitely a hit - thanks to our terrific volunteer Docents! We hope you will return often and bring your family and friends as we move in the future. It was a lovely day and everyone had a great time. Thanks again for stopping by. See you on the path soon!

Special thanks to Fushicho Daiko, Magician Shawn, and all our staff and volunteers!

See more photos from the event here.

Otsukimi Moonviewing Festival 2012

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Otsukimi 2012! And special thanks to our terrific volunteers, fantastic staff, and all those who were involved in making this a great event! The crowd kept growing...thanks for spreading the word! The performances were amazing, the tea ceremony demonstrations lent a moment of serenity to those participating, and it was wonderful to welcome old friends and new to this evening event in the Garden. 

See more photos from the event here.

Big Clean-Up Day

Hearty thanks to the Volunteers who worked hard on JFG Clean-up Day!

See more photos here.

Late Summer

The Garden is so lovely, especially in the early morning as the new day awakens. The sun streams through to cast a twinkling in the stream and create a new shade of green on a tree branch as it enhances everything it rolls over. We look forward to seeing everyone on the path in a few weeks. Please mark your calendar for Opening Day on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 10 am! If you would like to join us for clean-up day (September 29) to bring the Garden to its full glory, please call the office to volunteer some time. We welcome everyone and appreciate all efforts!

See more photos here.

Summer in the Garden

Summer continues in Phoenix with some high temps. The Garden is surviving with the help of our wonderful volunteers and terrific City Staffers. Thanks to everyone who lends a hand in this heat. Just a few photos to get everyone ready for Opening Day, Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

See more photos here.

July in the Garden

The Garden is forever beautiful during the heat of the desert summer (with proper watering, the City of Phoenix providing necessary repairs and maintenance, and volunteers overseeing garden needs). Please enjoy these photos of the Garden and we look forward to welcoming everyone back on October 2, 2012!

See more photos here.

Beauty in May

It is that time of year...the temps are soaring as summer approaches. Please make plans to visit the Garden before May 31, 2012 as that is the last day the gate is open! Enjoy these recent shots captured along the path then come see us. The ducks are teenagers now, our elusive turtle was caught sunning on a rock, and beautiful blooms are all around (don't forget to look up!). See you soon!

See more photos here.

First Friday, Last Celebration of the Season!

Thanks to everyone who made the evening so much fun! Saboten Con, Samurai Comics, Arizona Aikido, Arizona Shotokan Karate, and all the performers did a great job. The work of our staff and volunteers made this night a success...thanks to all! Here are just a few photos to enjoy...artwork, costumed guests, and more.

See more photos from the event here.

Strolling in Yukata 2012

Evening in the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix is a special time. Saturday evening confirmed that as the annual fundraiser Strolling in Yukata came to life. Beautiful yukata and kimonos were seen throughout the Garden. Tea ceremony demos were captivating, lovely voices singing with strains of music wafted throughout the Garden. The amazing face-mask changing artist captivated everyone's imagination and made the youngsters wonder what was going on. It was a perfect, clear evening. We thank everyone who joined the festivities.

Very special thanks to Phoenix Sister Cities Himeji Committee, 3TV News and all our staff and volunteers who brought this event to life! Arigato.

See more photos from the event here.

Phoenix Bonsai Society Celebrates 50 Years

Congratulations to the Phoenix Bonsai Society! Fifty years of bonsai and going strong. Garden supporter Mike Apostolos gave an informative demonstration on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Each piece of art was stunning...and all so different! Everyone can learn bonsai so if you are interested, visit their website.

See more photos from the event here.

Garden Lecture: Plants

Board Member Jim Wheat who also chairs our Horticulture Committee walked the Garden and discussed nearly every plant, tree, and shrub in site! His love of all things growing is always apparent as Jim explains all the plants we see as we walk the path! Many thanks to Jim for all of his contributions.

See more photos from the lecture here.

Sakura no Ne VIP Reception

Magical, Mystical, Astounding, Captivating! All this energy and more awaits the Sakura no Ne - Root of the Cherry Tree audience! Opening Night hosted notables such as the Presidents of the Sundome Performing Arts Association and the Japanese Friendship Garden, the show's playwrite, members of the Japanese Culture Club of Arizona, the Japanese American Citizens League, and many more. Pre-show entertainment was exciting and set the tone for what was yet to come. A beautiful and timeless story told with state-of-the-art creativity! CONGRATULATIONS on a stunning production! Thank you to everyone involved in this magnificent production. And if you do not have your ticket yet, please rush to Theater Works website to buy yours today. You definitely do not want to miss this show!

See more photos from the reception here.

Welcome Tatsuo Kamon!

First Friday on April 6, 2012 was very special. We welcomed so many guests and also held a lovely reception for Japanese entertainer Tatsuo Kamon! It was a perfect evening and everyone enjoyed delicious fare supplied by Sushi Ken. A tour of the Garden closed the evening. Many thanks to our staff and volunteers who made this evening possible and also to our guests (some old friends and some new!) for sharing the evening with us. We truly hope Mr. and Mrs. Kamon enjoyed a calm evening at Ro Ho En! 

See more photos from the event here.

Children's Day Kite and Koi Festival 2012

Kids of all ages celebrated the day on March 31, 2012 at Margaret T. Hance Park, adjacent to the Garden! New taiko drummers, folks finding out how strong they are (with some aikido training!), kites flying, shave ice...and of course, Koi all contributed to a fabulous day!

Thanks to everyone who braved the high temp and special thanks to Fushicho Daiko, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Valley of the Sun Koi Club, Greater Phoenix Pond Society, Airi Katsuta Photography, JSA, Phoenix Bonsai Society, and everyone who contributed time to make this day happen! 

See more photos from the event here.

Taiko Experience 2012

Thundering drumming and serene flute notes filled the Garden last night as Taiko Experience 2012 performers began an incredible show! Several guests also took advantage of the opportunity to learn this Japanese drumming art. It was a beautiful evening in the Garden; the temperature was perfect, the crowd was enthusiastic, and the food was delicious. These shots are a sampling of this terrific event (in case you missed it or may just want to revisit a great time)! Thanks to everyone who made this event possible...we could not do it without this fabulous team of staff and volunteers!

See more photos from the event here.

Graden Lecture: Dr. Nick Saint-Erne's Koi Lecture

Our beautiful koi were the subject of an informative Garden Lecture last Sunday, presented by koi expert, Nick Saint-Erne, DVM. A crowd gathered on the bridge, the perfect place to draw these glittery and interesting fish!

See more photos from the lecture here.

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

It is hard to imagine that this Sunday, March 11, 2012, marks the one year anniversary of the tsunami and earthquake that created a major disaster in Japan. While their recovery efforts are quite phenomenal, there is still a long way to go for so many of the people who suffered through this horrific force of nature.

If you would like to assist at this time, please add your donation to our collection in the Gift Shop. We also welcome you to join us and the Japanese Culture Club of Arizona for a special showing of The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. Nature's incredible force is capable of as much beauty as devastation as proclaimed in this special film.

Girl's Day (Hina Matsuri)

Happy Girl's Day! Please visit the Garden today to view our small but beautiful Hina Doll display in the Gift Shop. These exquisite dolls are an important part of a young girl's life in Japan. They are lovely to display with many pieces and gorgeous attire. Thank you for stopping by!

Matsuri Festival 2012

This year's Matsuri at Heritage & Science Park was an amazing collage of people, entertainment, the flavors of Japanese cuisine, culture, and great fun! We welcomed honored guests, felt the familiar rhythm of taiko, appreciated the beauty of ikebana and bonsai, viewed gorgeous kimonos, learned about tea ceremony, found treasures to purchase, watched (with curiosity) interesting costumes as they paraded by...and more! Each day brought fun, fantasy, and friends to share all the excitement!

See more photos from the event here.

Third Annual Ikebana Exhibit

The Garden held a treasure trove of beautiful Ikebana arrangements all weekend. The comment, "the Garden has slipped on some amazing jewelry again this year" fits the show perfectly. Ping Wei's Garden Lecture on Sunday was even more meaningful as he presented it from the Tea House. Artists and guests alike were awed by the addition of these gorgeous, from-the-heart artistic arrangements along the path.

See more photos from the event here.

Anime Night at Ro Ho En

The gigantic screen was fabulous...Japanese treats were delicious...and the anime movie was a classic! Friday night's showtime was terrific as you can see here! We look forward to seeing everyone again at the end of March!

See more photos from the event here.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! The Japanese traditional New Year's decoration is called "kadomatsu" and is usually placed in front of homes to welcome ancestral spirits or "kami" of the harvest. Our creative staff, with City staff assistance, designed and assembled the beautiful kadomatsu you will see as you enter the gate or the Gift Shop. The bamboo and pine represent longevity and prosperity...our wish for you! Please enjoy these beautiful additions before January 15 (when they are traditionally burned to appease the "kami.")

See more photos here.