Seattle Japanese Garden

The Seattle Japanese Garden is a 3.5 acre (14000 m²) Japanese garden in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. The garden is located in the southern end of the Washington Park Arboretum on Lake Washington Boulevard East. The garden is one of the oldest Japanese gardens in North America, and is regarded as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in the United States. Beginning in 1937, plans were made to include a Japanese garden in the Arboretum, and after 20 years of fundraising the project began. Experts Kiyoshi Inoshita and Juki Iida were appointed as designers and completed their plans in 1959. Juki Iida selected William Yorozu as the prime contractor for plants, Richard Yamasaki for stone setting, and Kei Ishimitsu for garden structures. Careful construction began and was completed the next year, 1960.