Celebrating Asian Pacific Heritage Month, The Japanese Friendship Garden

With all that Balboa Park has to offer, the Japanese Friendship Garden is a sight not to be overlooked.   One of San Diego’s not-so-hidden gems, the Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego creates an environment dedicated to a simple purpose: well-being, through a living work of art. 

Within these transcendental gardens, park-goers come to enjoy attractions including the bonsai exhibit, exhibition hall, rock arrangement, beautiful black pine trees, azaleas and ornamental plants such as camellias,magnolia, wisteria.  

The Japanese Friendship Garden is not only a valued asset to Balboa Park for its beauty, but also offers educational programs to the public to foster a better understanding of the Japanese heritage among people of varied ethnic backgrounds. 

Although the garden draws in visitors daily for those seeking a peaceful escape, solace, or personal renewal, the garden is most highly anticipated for its annual Cherry Blossom Festival in the spring.   Visitors from all over the world come to witness over nine acres of garden expansion, authentic Japanese cuisine, community entertainment, and a variety of local craft vendors. 

Exhibiting over 170 Cherry Blossom trees, the Japanese Friendship Garden places a special emphasis on the importance of these rare flowers which can only bloom during a short period of each year, symbolizing the belief of the transient nature of all things living within Japanese culture. 

The Japanese Friendship Garden incorporates its heritage in all walks of the park, as the garden is said to be a symbol of friendship between San Diego and its sister city in Yokohama, Japan.  The garden, designed based on the authentic landscape and two cultures to create a one-of-a-kind experience for all visitors alike.

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