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About Nitobe Memorial Garden
Welcome to Nitobe Memorial Garden, a traditional Japanese Tea and Stroll garden located at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Nitobe Garden is considered to be the one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in North America and among the top five Japanese gardens outside of Japan.
Nitobe Memorial Garden was designed to create a reverence for and sense of harmony with nature. Norman Mackenzie, president of the University of British Columbia played a central role in the creation of the garden. Dr. Nitobe and President Mackenzie worked together at UNESCO and were friends. In support of the project the Government of Japan sent Kannosuke Mori, a renowned landscape architect from Chiba University, to design and build the garden and to ensure its authenticity. Each structure, lantern, stone, shrub and tree was carefully built, placed, or pruned with a respect for the space and the materials at hand. As a result, a piece of the long history of Japanese horticulture has made its way into a small pocket of British Columbian forest.
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Suggest editAdults $7
Children $4
Last Update 2023
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The garden is beautiful in all weather and highlights the passing of the seasons: cherry blossoms shower the garden in spring, irises bloom in summer, maple leaves glow red and yellow in fall. Trees—both native and Japanese—are pruned in the Japanese tradition to frame the garden in winter. No matter what time of year, carpets of moss, bridges that span a koi pond and iris bed, and stone paths that cross waterfalls, create a peaceful atmosphere that invites the visitor to reflect on both the beauty of nature and its place in their lives.
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A visit to Nitobe Memorial Garden is a window into Japanese culture and brings to light an important aspect of Japanese-Canadian history.
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From Dr. Mori’s design and work on the Garden, relationships with the local Japanese Canadian community were established. Dr. Mori was able to recruit Japanese Canadian gardeners who provided labour and support as the garden was developed. These gardeners assumed responsibility for the Garden’s care and maintenance over many years after Professor Mori’s departure.
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