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.