Jo Ryo En Japanese Garden

Jo Ryo En is a Japanese garden on the Carleton College campus that spans about a quarter-acre. It features stone lanterns, a bamboo drip basin, flat stones arranged to suggest a stream, and white gravel representing a lake.

The garden was designed and built between 1974 and 1976 by David Slawson following his two-year training with master gardener Kinsaku Nakane in Kyoto. This apprenticeship with a Japanese master ensured the design's authenticity and depth.

The name Jo Ryo En means Garden of Quiet Listening, reflecting the meditative approach to Japanese dry landscape design. Walking through this space, visitors experience the contemplative stillness that shaped its creation.

The garden sits behind Watson Hall on the Carleton College campus and is free to visit throughout the year. The best time to experience it is during dry weather, when the garden's details and stone arrangements are most visible.

The garden incorporates ancient rocks collected within about 100 miles of Northfield, blending local geology with Japanese design principles. This choice makes it a true fusion of Eastern tradition and local American context.

Location: Northfield

GPS coordinates: 44.45920,-93.14970

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:47