Seattle Japanese Garden

The Seattle Japanese Garden is a 3.5-acre garden within Washington Park Arboretum featuring stone formations, water features, gravel paths, traditional lanterns, and wooden bridges arranged across multiple sections. The vegetation includes many plant species organized by area to create distinct landscape experiences.

Japanese designers created the garden design in 1959 following traditional planning principles. The construction made use of over 580 granite stones brought from outside sources to achieve the authentic layout.

The garden embodies Japanese design principles from the Momoyama and early Edo periods, creating spaces meant for quiet observation and reflection. You can feel the Japanese philosophy of harmony between people and nature expressed throughout the layout.

The garden is open year-round with guided tours available several days each week. Paths are well-maintained and wide enough for easy movement through the various sections.

A wooden zigzag bridge crosses the central lake and connects the formal northern section with the natural woodland area to the south. This bridge serves as a distinctive architectural element that unifies the two different garden characters.