Japanese garden of Hasselt, Japanese garden in Hasselt, Belgium

The Japanese Garden of Hasselt is a landscaped garden in the Belgian city of Hasselt, featuring ponds, stone lanterns, wooden bridges, and ornamental cherry trees. Winding footpaths connect the different sections of the grounds, guiding visitors through a space designed according to traditional Japanese garden principles.

The garden stems from the friendship between Hasselt and Itami in Hyōgo Prefecture, a link maintained since 1985. Hasselt gave Itami a tower carillon in November 1991, and the garden became the symbolic presence in Hasselt. Designed by the Japanese garden architect Inoue Takuyuki, it was inaugurated on 20 November 1992.

The tea house Jyushoan sits halfway up an artificial hill, reached by a path along a moss carpet. Its clay wall has a round window of twigs and bamboo lattice, and tea demonstrations in the Urasenke style are regularly led by tea master Staf Daems. The zigzag bridge Yatsuhashi crosses an iris pond, where irises are planted in memory of a departed friend.

The garden is open from April through October, and a visit in spring is worth planning if you want to see the cherry trees in bloom. Wear comfortable shoes, as the paths curve through the grounds with some gentle slopes along the way.

The materials used to build the garden, including stones and timber, were shipped directly from Japan to Belgium. Even today, specialists travel from Japan to carry out specific maintenance work on the grounds.