Small rectangular stone lantern (Square stone lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

Another small stone lantern. This one was almost hidden among the foliage and lightly covered with moss.

I liked that even though there were a lot of stone lanterns throughout the garden, they were each a little different, with their own character.
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Square stone lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This is one of several stone lanterns at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo was taken on July 11, 2007.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Last lantern (Stone lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

This is the last lantern on the self-guided tour along the footpath.

There were many stone lanterns throughout (I didn't even include photos for all of them here!). There were also other garden elements that I didn't include.

To have included everything I photographed would mean doubling (or tripling) this collection. So, to see them all, you'll have to go check out the garden for yourself!
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Stone lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This is one of the stone lanterns on the grounds of the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo was taken during my visit there on July 11, 2007.

I also took a close-up of it: Detail of stone lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Beginning of the garden (Seattle Japanese Garden - snow lantern)

The plans for a Japanese style garden were set in motion in 1959 by a sizable gift from an anonymous Arboretum Foundation member.

As you walk into the garden from the entrance, you walk along the path lined with various trees and greenery and see this small stone lantern before you get to the lake.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - snow lantern

This photo was taken on July 11, 2007 at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. As you walk into the garden from the entrance, you walk along the path lined with various trees and greenery and see this small stone lantern before you get to the lake.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Crown Princess Michiko's birch tree (Seattle Japanese Garden - Crown Princess Michiko birch tree)

This is a European white birch tree. You can see the moon-viewing stand and the lake beyond it.

What is significant about this particular tree is that it was planted by Crown Princess Michiko of Japan on October 5, 1960 according to the plaque placed in front of it.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - Crown Princess Michiko birch tree

This photo was taken during a visit to the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum on July 11, 2007. It is of a European White Birch tree within the garden.

What is significant about this particular tree is that it was planted by Crown Princess Michiko of Japan on October 5, 1960 according to the plaque placed in front of it.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Small stone lantern on the lake (Seattle Japanese Garden - small stone lantern)

In March 1960, Iida came from Japan to supervise construction of the garden, personally selecting more than 500 huge granite boulders from the Cascade Mountains and wrapped them in bamboo matting to avoid scratches during transport.

This is one of several stone lanterns on the grounds of the Japanese Garden. It sits on a stone in the small lake within the middle of the garden. There's a little walkway of stones that leads out to it. You see it as you walk from the entrance towards the water.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - small stone lantern

This is one of several stone lanterns on the grounds of the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo was taken on a visit there on July 11, 2007.

This lantern sits on a stone in the small lake within the middle of the garden. There's a little walkway of stones that leads out to it. You see it as you walk from the entrance towards the water.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Wisteria trellis (Wisteria trellis at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

This is the wisteria trellis that is at the far corner of the lake in the garden.

The garden's brochure describes it as:

"To the north, a beautiful wisteria trellis, usually in its glory in mid-May, covers the outlet from the lake and serves as an entrance to the village."
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Wisteria trellis at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This photo is from the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. It was taken during my visit on July 11, 2007. It shows the wisteria trellis that is at the far side of the lake in the garden.

The garden's brochure describes it as:

"To the north, a beautiful wisteria trellis, usually in its glory in mid-May, covers the outlet from the lake and serves as an entrance to the village."

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Moon-viewing stand (Moon-viewing Stand at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

This wooden platform sits over the lake on the opposite side as the original entrance gate. The brochure describes it as:

"The Moon-viewing Stand is used in late summer for ceremonies that celebrate the rising of the moon and other performances during Japanese festivals celebrated in the garden. It is also a good place to observe the colored carp (koi) in the lake. You can often see frogs among the water lilies, and occasionally a great blue heron will appear along the edges of the stone cape. On the lakeshore are beds of Japanese iris (Iris ensata)."
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Moon-viewing Stand at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This is the moon-viewing stand from the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo was taken during my visit there on July 11, 2007.

The wooden platform sits over the lake on the opposite side as the original entrance gate. The brochure describes it as:

"The Moon-viewing Stand is used in late summer for ceremonies that celebrate the rising of the moon and other performances during Japanese festivals celebrated in the garden. It is also a good place to observe the colored carp (koi) in the lake. You can often see frogs among the water lilies, and occasionally a great blue heron will appear along the edges of the stone cape. On the lakeshore are beds of Japanese iris (Iris ensata)."

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Waterfall (Waterfall at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

This waterfall is near the pagoda. It's hidden near the edge of the garden. It's in a very cool and shaded area with a lot of green foliage.
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Waterfall at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This is the waterfall at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. It is located within the garden south of the Tea Garden near the 11-tiered pagoda. The photo was taken on my visit to the garden on July 11, 2007.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Turtle Island (Turtle Island at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

Turtle Island is a very small patch in the middle of the lake where the turtles can sit out and sun themselves. Apparently, the pines on the island symbolize Japanese cranes (tsuru).
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Turtle Island at the Seattle Japanese Garden

Turtle Island is in the middle of the lake at the Japanese Garden of the Washington Arboretum. According to their brochure, the pines on the island symbolize Japanese cranes.

This photo was taken on July 11, 2007.

Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Shoseian Teahouse (Shoseian teahouse at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

The original teahouse, a gift from the people of Tokyo, was hand-constructed in Japan by the Shimizu Company and reassembled on site. Unfortunately, fire destroyed it in 1973. It was rebuilt in 1981 with the help of the Arboretum Foundation and the Urasenke Foundation of Kyoto, Japan.

In a March 1981 ceremony, Dr. Soshitsu Sen, 15th generation Grand Master of Urasenke, bestowed upon it the name "Shoseian" (Arbor of the Murmuring Pines). It features post and lintel construction composed mainly of cryptomeria and Western red cedar framing plastered walls.

The copper-singled roof shelters a six-tatami mat tearoom, a one-mat preparation room, and a two-mat anteroom and a stone-floored entry. It's used for tea ceremonies and other special occasions.

Unfortunately, the teahouse is closed to general visitors, so we weren't able to see for ourselves what it looked like inside. The exterior was very nice though.
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Shoseian teahouse at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This photo is from the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum, taken on July 11, 2007. It's of the teahouse in the Roji of which their brochure says:

"The Tea Garden 'Roji,' meaning dew covered ground, is a tranquil retreat of moss and vegetation inspired by a mountain landscape. It is separated from the rest of the Garden by a hedge of boxwood, cedar and osmanthus. The roji is divided by a bamboo fence into two distinct parts: the outer section features the waiting arbor for guests attending a full-length tea gathering, and the inner section contains the stone basin where guests pause to purify hands and mouth before entering the teahouse. Shoseian, the "Arbor of the Murmuring Pines," features post and lintel construction composed mainly of cryptomeria and Western red cedar framing plastered walls. The copper-shingled roof shelters a six-tatami mat tearoom, a one-mat preparation room, a two-mat anteroom and a stone-floored entry."

The Japanese Garden hosts tea events such as tea demonstrations, gatherings, workshops, tours and special events. The Seattle branch of the Urasenke Foundation hosts the demonstrations.

Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Pagoda (Stone pagoda at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

This is the garden's 11-tiered stone pagoda. It also is lightly covered with moss and is symbolic of ancient seminaries in the mountains of Japan.

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Stone pagoda at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This is a stone pagoda at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. It has eleven tiers and is lightly covered with moss. It can be found towards the end of the self-guided tour in a shady area hidden among some trees and foliage near the waterfall.

I took this photo on a visit to the garden on July 11, 2007.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

View of the lake (Seattle Japanese Garden - Kobe lantern view)

Iida placed the rocks he selected, ranging in weight from 1,000 pounds to more than 11 tons, in their designated locations.

He arranged thousands of plants selected to represent diverse scenes found in Japan. They included azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias, other evergreens, flowering fruit trees, mosses, and ferns.

I took this photo from where the Kobe lantern is. On the left bottom side of the photo, you can see the geometric lantern. To the far left of that is where the wisteria trellis is located. In the center of the photo, you can see Turtle Island. On the right center of the photo, you can see the bridges spanning across the lake.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - Kobe lantern view

This was taken at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum during a visit on July 11, 2007.

The photo shows the view looking down from the Kobe lantern in the garden which is at the very back of the garden opposite the entrance. The lake that you see is in the middle of the garden.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

End of the tour (Seattle Japanese Garden - front gate)

This is back at the entrance/exit to the garden. This is the gate that is now used to access the garden. On just the other side of this gate there is a little entrance stand where you pay to get in and can purchase a few gift items.

This is where my tour ends. I hope you enjoyed it!
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Seattle Japanese Garden - front gate

This is from the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo shows the front gate to the garden. It was taken from inside the garden pointing outside during my visit to the garden on July 11, 2007.

On just the other side of this gate there is a little entrance stand where you pay to get in and can purchase a few gift items. The original gate still exists, but is no longer used .

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Geometric lantern (Seattle Japanese Garden - stone circle lantern close up)

This is another one of the many stone lanterns in the garden. This one is located on the corner of a platform area on the far side of the garden next to the lake. It's in the area that represents the village, the more formalized area of the garden.

The lantern isn't very large, but it really appealed to me because it's so different than the others. The base is basically a circle. The top part makes it look traditional, yet the geometric bottom makes it seem modern at the same time.

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Seattle Japanese Garden - stone circle lantern close up

This photo is of a stone lantern at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum taken on July 11, 2007.

Click here to see a different view of this lantern >>

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Azumaya bench (Seattle Japanese Garden - Azumaya bench)

The long wooden benches that ran along three sides of the Azumaya's base offered a simple, yet elegant place to sit and relax in the shade.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - Azumaya bench

This is part of the wooden bench that extends along two sides of the Azumaya at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum from my visit on July 11, 2007.

Visit my Azumaya page in Nikkei Album for a little more info.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Azumaya roof (Seattle Japanese Garden - Azumaya roof)

This is the underside of the Azumaya roof. I really loved the detail in the construction.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - Azumaya roof

This is the underside of the Azumaya roof at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum from my visit on July 11, 2007.

Visit my Azumaya page in Nikkei Album for a little more info.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

More koi (Group of koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

That first koi was soon joined by many others. In addition to the koi, there were also some turtles and little ducklings who swam around hoping I'd feed them. It was a little alarming how many came so quickly!

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Group of koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden

Koi fish in the lake at the Japanese Garden of the Washington Arboretum. This photo was taken on July 11, 2007 from the bridge across the lake. I stood at the bridge and watched as first one koi, then another, then another, and another came until it looked like all of the koi in the lake were swimming below me. They were joined by small turtles and little ducklings.

Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Koi (Koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

The lake is in the center of the garden with the path winding around it. There are two bridges that span across it. The earthen bridge (Dobashi) and plank bridge (Yatsuhashi) are traditional elements in Japanese gardens.

When I stood at the bridge, this koi swam towards me and circled around below obviously hoping for food. Sadly, I disappointed him (or her?) and only took photos.

It was a good-sized koi as was most of the koi in the lake, and had an "old" and some-what weathered look to it.
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Koi at the Seattle Japanese Garden

One of the koi in the lake at the Japanese Garden of the Washington Arboretum. This photo was taken on July 11, 2007 from the bridge across the lake. I stood at the bridge and this fish swam towards me and circled around below obviously hoping for food. Sadly, I disappointed him (or her?) and only took photos.

It was a good-sized koi as was most of the koi in the lake, and had an "old" and some-what weathered look to it. It was soon joined by others.

Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Azumaya (Seattle Japanese Garden - Azumaya)

Continuing along the footpath around the lake, the next major area is this covered resting area that has a lovely view of the lake as well as a small orchard of sakura (cherry blossom) trees.

It must be very nice to sit up there in the spring looking down at the sakura trees in bloom.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - Azumaya

This is from the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. It was taken on July 11, 2007. The photo shows the Azumaya that provides a covered resting area and a view that looks down towards the lake, but also the orchard of sakura trees.

I also took photos of a wooden bench inside the Azumaya and a close-up of underneath the roof.

The garden's brochure describes this section of the garden as:

"Above the western shore of the lake is the cherry orchard with its traditional Azumaya, a shelter from which to enjoy the Garden and the borrowed scenery shakkei of the Arboretum beyond."

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Original gate (Seattle Japanese Garden - Original Gate)

This is the original gate to the garden. It's no longer used (if you look closely, you can see in the photo that it was locked). It's near the middle of the lake across from the bridges.
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Seattle Japanese Garden - Original Gate

This is from the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo shows the original gate to the garden, taken on July 11, 2007.

The original gate is no longer used (you can see in the photo that it was locked). As you walk along the main path from the new front gate, it's on the right side near the lake.

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>

Kobe lantern (Kobe lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden)

I think this was the largest of the stone lanterns in the garden. It was given as a friendship gift in 1958 from Seattle's sister city, Kobe. It's located at the back of the garden on a little hill that overlooks the garden.

Here is the text regarding it from their brochure:

"High on the pine-covered knoll behind the benches is the Kobe lantern. This 3-1/2-ton, hand-carved granite lantern is nearly 200 years old. It was a gift from the citizens of Kobe, Japan, a Sister City relationship established in 1957"

The plaque on the lantern reads:

May the Light shine Everlastingly
upon the Friendship between
Kobe and Seattle

Shinichi Okazaki
1958
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Kobe lantern at the Seattle Japanese Garden

This is the Kobe lantern at the Japanese Garden at the Washington Arboretum. The photo was taken during a visit on July 11, 2007.

Here is the text regarding it from their brochure:

"High on the pine-covered knoll behind the benches is the Kobe lantern. This 3-1/2-ton, hand-carved granite lantern is nearly 200 years old. It was a gift from the citizens of Kobe, Japan, a Sister City relationship established in 1957"

The plaque on the lantern reads:

May the Light shine Everlastingly
upon the Friendship between
Kobe and Seattle

Shinichi Okazaki
1958

Click here to see the view from this vantage-point >>

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Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East
North of East Madison Street
206.684.4725
Learn more about the garden online >>