Poetry and the Japanese Garden by NAJGA

If you are quick you can still register for NAJGA's Virtual Lecture: "Poetry and the Japanese Garden."

Tomorrow, July 23rd, 2020

4:30 to 6:pm PDT

*SuihoEn, Van Nuys, California (Photo by Roman Rodriguez)

NAJGA is honored to host this lecture by Dr. Seiko Goto, Professor at the School of Environmental Science at Nagasaki University.

 To register click here.  

We'll begin the evening with a virtual cocktail hour from 4:30pm-5:00pm. Come and introduce yourself and get to know others in the Japanese garden community. The lecture will begin at 5:00pm PDT. Then, we'll end with a Q & A with Dr. Goto. 

Seattle Japanese Garden to Reopen July 14th

Wonderful News!

The Garden to Reopen Tuesday July 14th

with some restrictions.

• Timed Entry Appointments - sign up at Seattle Parks & Rec .
• Groups of related people no larger than 5.
• Wear Face Masks and social distance.
• Follow one direction paths within the garden.

At the top of this web page you can either "Sign In" if you already have an account or "Create an Account."

To create an account at Seattle Parks and Rec.

Step 1: Click on the 'Create New Account' button.

Step 3: Complete your information and Submit.

Step 4: You will receive an "Activate Your Account" email from Seattle Parks.  Click the link in that email to activate your account.

Once you have a Parks Activnet Account, then you can got to this Seattle Parks link to sign up for a Garden Timed Entry Ticket.   https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/seattle/daycare/program/312?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true&online=true  and click on the "Enroll Now" button to pick your day and time and process your order.

For more information on the rules and a map of the directional garden paths, go to this Seattle Japanese Garden Website:  https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/covid19 .  There is also a button on that page to "Purchase Your  Ticket."  There may appear to be an entry charge, but for Unit 86 Members, that charge will be discounted to $0.

Sign up now and ENJOY - at LAST!

Virtual Tanabata - Starting July 11

The annual Japanese star festival of Tanabata will be a virtual event this year due to Covid-19.

From noon on Saturday, July 11 to midnight Friday, July 31st, follow this link to see videos, stories and drawing projects for kids posted on the Seattle Japanese Garden web site:

https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/events-calendar/2020/7/11/family-saturday-july-virtual-tanabata

IN ADDITION - The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle is launching a public art campaign to support artistic expression and cultural exchange during these challenging times. The Consulate is specifically seeking art submissions from the public that reflect US-Japan relations and themes of friendship and hope between the two countries.

Once a week we will select artwork submitted from people living in the Consulate’s jurisdiction

and post it on our Facebook page. To promote the project, we ask that you use the

hashtag #cgjartseattle on your Facebook posts. We also encourage you to post your own

submissions with the hashtag and share the selected photos after they are posted.

For more information:  Click Here

Consulate-General of Japan

701 Pike Street, Suite 1000

Seattle, Washington 98101

Jeanne Peterson, Chair of Seattle Japanese Garden Steering Committee

At the June 17, 2020 Arboretum Foundation virtual Annual Meeting, Skip Vonckx retired as Chair of the Japanese Garden Steering committee and from the Foundation Board.  Assuming the Chair position in his stead is our very own Jeanne Peterson, long time Board Member of the Foundation, member of the Steering Committee and a Unit 86 Guide since 2010.

Congratulations Jeanne.  We in Unit 86 looking forward to working closely with you during the next term.

Read an interview of Jeanne by David Yamaguchi of The North American Post:  https://napost.com/jeanne-peterson-the-seattle-japanese-garden-steering-committee-chair/

A Legacy of Peace, Planted in Our Garden

The Seattle Japanese Garden web site honors the history of the garden with this beautiful story of collaboration between Japan and Seattle to honor the 60th Anniversary.  Susan Ott-Ralph has been working with the Green Legacy Hiroshima Initiative to bring "peace trees" into our garden.

In January, 2020, Susan delivered these seed to be propagated.  They are all from plants that survived the atomic bombing in Hiroshima.  By growing these seeds we commemorate the lives lost in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and become an ambassador for the initiative's message of peace and love of the natural world.

See the story on the Seattle Japanese Garden web site at:
https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/a-legacy-of-peace

60th Anniversary of the Seattle Japanese Garden

Sixty years ago today, June 5 1960, the Seattle Japanese Garden celebrated its Grand Opening with many dignitaries present: Honorable Gordon Clinton, Mayor of Seattle; Honorable Yoshiharu Takeno, Consul-General of Japan, Seattle; Dr. Charles Odegaard, President, University of Washington; Gordon Marckworth, President of the University of Washington Arboretum; Juki Iida, Supervising Director of Construction and Design, Japanese Tea Garden, Seattle; and special guest: Avery Peterson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

Read the Story behind the creation of the garden on the garden website, written by Jessa Gardner with much help from Julie Coryell and Shizue Prochaska at:

Design and Creation of the Seattle Japanese Garden