Japanese Garden at The Huntington

On our whirlwind tour of The Huntington in January, I selected the Japanese Garden as one of my stops. The nine-acre garden was started in 1911 by Henry E. Huntington and opened to the public in 1928, at a time that Americans were discovering the beauty and culture of the exotic Far East. The garden has been renovated periodically over the years, including recently in 2011.

View of the Japanese garden from the Wisteria arbor

I paused at the Wisteria arbor, to get a big-picture view of the garden, which spans a small canyon and includes a water feature running through it. The arbor was denuded of leaves and flowers, but still full of winter beauty.

The Moon Bridge with the Wisteria arbor beyond

The Japanese garden has been a site for several motion pictures, including Mame (1974), and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). If you watch the trailer for the latter, you'll catch a glimpse of the garden and the Moon Bridge that arches over the water around marker 1:56-1:57. The bridge and its reflection provide a popular photo opportunity for real life visitors as well.

Japanese house

Structures are an important part of the Japanese garden. Moving partitions enable you to reconfigure the living space – to open up rooms into bigger spaces and to the garden outside, or to close them for privacy.

Ceremonial Tea House

The ceremonial tea house shows the setting for a tea ceremony, where the simple task of brewing a cup of tea is elevated to an art form. Tea utensils are set out, as well as a beautiful kimono. The original tea house was built in Kyoto in the 1960s and shipped to The Huntington, and was recently restored by a descendent of its original creator. 

Path through an allée of green bamboo

Conversation under a cherry tree

The layers of green-on-green plants are lovely and restful, as is the bamboo grove. At the time we visited, the cherry trees and camelias were blooming. In contrast, the raked Zen garden is bare of any foliage or flowers, but provides a serene place for meditation and contemplation.

Japanese lanterns

Lanterns, paths, water features, and koi are important elements in the Japanese garden, and provide focal points throughout the garden.

Water features in the Japanese garden

I enjoyed my short time in the Japanese garden with its streams and ponds, big and little bonsai, bamboo forests, and tranquil settings. I felt the peace and beauty provided by the traditional Japanese garden. Other Japanese gardens we have visited over the years include:

• Japanese Tea Garden (San Francisco, CA)
• The Gardens at Lake Merritt (Oakland, CA)
• Hayward Japanese Garden (Hayward, CA)
• Nishinomiya Japanese Garden (Spokane, WA)

To learn more about Japanese gardens, see Garden History – Japanese Gardens, Elements of the Japanese Garden, and Japanese Garden Highlights.