3/21 Japanese Friendship Garden 🗾⛲

Volunteers from Teens Club kindly assisted with cleaning up and beautifying the Japanese Friendship Garden, doing gardening, pruning, and weeding. No pictures were taken this time, but this event happens on a semi-regular basis, so posts can be found on our 2025 site with photos that show our volunteers in action cleaning up and assisting at the garden.

history about the garden

The Japanese Friendship Garden is a peaceful six-acre garden within Kelley Park that symbolizes the sister-city relationship between San Jose and Okayama, Japan. It was dedicated in October 1965 and is inspired by Japan's famous Korakuen Garden in Okayama.

The garden has three ponds interconnected by streams, each at a different elevation. All three are stocked with koi. The lower pond has willows alongside it and bridges crossing it, with lanterns and bonsai plants spread throughout.

The garden serves as a gathering place for cultural events, educational programs, and celebrations of Japanese traditions, including workshops and demonstrations of ikebana, bonsai, and traditional music and dance.