March 2021 - Early Spring Visit to the Garden

A March visit to the Seattle Japanese Garden reveals the structural beauty of the plantings with the promise of budding new growth.    (All photos by Peggy Garber)

See More Photos under the Special Events tab.

Reading Kimonos in Modern Japanese Literature

The Case of Kōda Aya

Join us for "Reading Kimonos in Modern Japanes Literature: The Case of Kōda Aya" with Japan Foundation Former Fellow  Dr. Michiko Suzuki, who will explore depictions of ikimonos in modern Japanese literature.  Focusing on the writer Kōda Aya (1904-90), this talk covers the ways kimonos serve critical roles in literary interpretation, as a unique means of communication between author and reader.

Time & Location:  march 29, 5pm PT - Online

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.  RSVP  HERE

Learn more here: Reading Kimonos in Modern Japanese Literature - The Japan Foundation, New York.

Kasagi: Gates Of Hope

"In 2013, two nearly identical beams of a sacred Shinto gate landed on the Oregon coast after having been tragically washed away in the Great East japan Earthquake of 2011.  After traveling 5,000 miles across the Pacific, incredibly, these two crossbeams, known as kasagi, landed within 120 miles of each other less than one month apart.  Virtually unidentifiable, they could have been abandoned, forgotten, and lost forever.  Instead, the quest to return the two battered pieces of wood has brought people together from across the globe as a message of support for the people of Japan.  What unfolds is the story of what connects us as humans:  life, loss, perseverance, and hope."

Link to a 90 minute documentary by Portland Japanese Garden on YouTube:  Kasagi: Gates of Hope Full Documentary.

Article by Portland Japanese Garden
Shared by Nat Suyenaga
(Nat also provided a pdf of the story.)
(If you would like a copy of the pdf, contact Peggy@Garbers.com)