Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
The Japanese Friendship Garden is a place of meditation and contemplation. Walk the path slowly, relax, and enjoy the quiet beauty all around you. Experience Japanese culture when you visit this authentic Japanese stroll garden in Phoenix, AZ.
Mission
To provide a place of tranquility and beauty as an escape from the everyday pressures of life for meditation and relaxation and to enrich and restore the body, mind, and spirit. An educational and peaceful way to promote understanding and appreciation of the Japanese culture.
Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, named Ro Ho En is an authentic 3 1/2 acre Japanese Stroll Garden with tea garden and tea house. This tranquil and beautiful setting features more than 1,500 tons of hand picked rock, stone footbridges, lanterns and more than 50 varieties of plants. As you stroll the path, you will enjoy flowing streams, a 12-foot waterfall, and a Koi pond with over 300 colorful Koi fish.
One of the main attractions at the Japanese Friendship Garden is the Japanese Tea House.
3.5 total acres with a 5/8 acre Koi pond.
More than 50 varieties of plants including two varieties of bamboo.
Designers chose plant species that can withstand the rigors of a desert environment. 1,500 tons of rock handpicked from quarries near Jerome, Superior, Congress and Florence line the stream beds, walking paths, lake shore and main lake waterfall.
Landscape architects from Himeji, Japan made 60 trips to Phoenix and City of Phoenix delegations made five trips to Himeji since 1987. Overall, more than 50 architects from Himeji contributed to the project.
Construction Cost: $3.8 million by bond funds, $1.0 million by private donations.
The Name - Ro Ho En
The name - Ro Ho En is a combination of three Japanese words. Ro means Heron, a bird symbol of Himeji City. Shira Sagi Jou, or the White Heron, is a 300-year-old medieval castle in Himeji. Ho is the Japanese word for the city of mythical Phoenix bird. En means garden.
About Sister Cities
Himeji became a Phoenix Sister City in November 1976 and is one of nine Sister Cities around the globe. Phoenix and Himeji participate in business, governmental, cultural and educational exchanges that promote international goodwill and understanding. The Garden is the shared cultural vision of the cities of Phoenix and Himeji.
The Japanese Friendship Garden is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in partnership with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and our Sister City of Himeji, Japan.
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