Visit These 7 Japanese Gardens to Find Your Moment of Zen

Soothe your soul in a natural beauty spot inspired by traditional aesthetics and philosophical principles

the entrance to a japanese garden surronded by trees

The minimalist design of Japanese gardens highlights the natural landscape, creating a place for meditation and reflection. The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco is the oldest such garden in the U.S.

Courtesy Gardens of Golden Gate Park

Rebecca Treon,

AARP

Published August 15, 2025

The gardening traditions of Japan have been admired worldwide for centuries, but you don’t have to travel to enjoy them – numerous cities across the U.S. have dedicated Japanese-style gardens or sections of their botanical gardens that incorporate Japanese landscaping. Known for their soothing elements, Japanese-style gardens are an excellent way to escape the daily grind and reset.

“Japanese gardens in particular are really kind of special, humanized nature,” says Kendall Brown, one of the founders and past president of the North American Japanese Garden Association. “They bring out the best, the most salubrious, positive, beneficial aspects of nature.”

Numerous studies tout the health benefits of spending time in nature, especially for adults over 50. A study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health notes lower stress, heart rates and blood pressure from spending time outside. Meanwhile, a 2022 study in Environmental Health showed that spending time in nature may reduce the risk of dementia.

“More and more studies are indicating that mindful time spent in nature — away from your cellphone, taking in all your senses and the space around you — can lead to a really beneficial preventative mental and physical health,” says Will Lerner, communications manager at the Portland Japanese Garden.

While finding a hiking trail may require trekking to a state park and navigating a challenging dirt path, Japanese gardens, by comparison, are conveniently located. Public gardens are required to be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act so people with reduced mobility can also access these beautiful spaces easily.

Traditional Japanese-style gardens often incorporate elements such as large rocks, ponds and evergreen trees. The minimalist design highlights the natural landscape, creating a place for meditation and reflection. These seven Japanese-style gardens, chosen for their varied locations, can be found from coast to coast. Plan a visit to one of these peaceful retreats to find your moment of zen.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver

people walking around a pond in a botanic garden

The ponderosa pine trees at the Shofu-En garden at the Denver Botanic Garden were chosen for their hardiness.

Getty Images

The Shofu-En garden — the Garden of Pine and Wind — features 130 unique pines from the Roosevelt National Forest. Chosen for their hardiness, the ponderosa pine trees, some more than 200 years old, were shaped by the area’s extreme windy weather. The garden features an elaborate entrance gate and a raked gravel garden. Tree-lined pathways lead visitors to a tranquil lagoon filled with koi. Fed by a waterfall and creek, the pond reflects the trees above. Near Shofu-En is a dedicated bonsai pavilion and a teahouse, which hosts traditional tea ceremonies in the summer. Open: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission: $16 for adults; $12.25 for adults 65-plus and military members with ID.

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Rockford, Illinois

Educational programs at Anderson Japanese Gardens include Japanese-language, arts and cultural classes; tea ceremonies; ikebana (floral arranging); brush painting; and calligraphy.

Courtesy Anderson Japanese Gardens

Spanning 12 acres, the Anderson Japanese Gardens are a traditional pond-strolling garden designed around a series of waterfalls, koi-filled ponds, streams, bridges and rock formations, with winding paths to explore. The garden is filled with Japanese maples, cloud pines, magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons. The pavilion and teahouse are used for numerous educational programs, including Japanese-language, arts and cultural classes; tea ceremonies; ikebana (floral arranging); brush painting; and calligraphy. They host a Japanese Summer Festival and regular wellness classes, including yoga and tai chi. Open: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission: $13 for adults; $12 for adults 62-plus on weekdays; $15 for adults; $14 for adults 62-plus on weekends and holidays.

Portland Japanese Garden

Portland, Oregon

The Portland Japanese Garden features eight garden spaces showcasing different styles of Japanese landscaping.

Courtesy Portland Japanese Garden

Considered by a former ambassador of Japan to the U.S. to be one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, the Portland Japanese Garden features eight garden spaces that exhibit different styles of Japanese landscaping. It also has a pavilion used for art exhibitions and markets, a Japanese teahouse and a cultural village where visitors can immerse themselves via demonstrations, activities and performances. The Strolling Pond Garden is the largest garden space and has two ponds, a 50-foot waterfall, a moon bridge, a zigzag bridge, stone lanterns and cherry trees. It is modeled after a gardening style popular among the aristocracy of the Edo period. Open: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. Admission: $22.50 for adults; $19.50 for adults 65-plus.

Shinzen Friendship Garden

Fresno, California

Shinzen Friendship Garden in Fresno, California, has a sister-city bond with Kochi, Japan.

Courtesy Shinzen Friendship Garden

After World War II, many American cities forged sister-city bonds with cities in Japan to repair Japanese-American relations, and gardens were a way to celebrate this friendship and cultural exchange. Shinzen Friendship Garden is one, connecting Fresno with Kochi, Japan. The five-acre garden hosts cultural and educational events that strengthen their bond. It has a renovated tea garden and teahouse where tea ceremonies are held, a fall festival, a spring blossom festival, workshops and classes, and the Toro Nagashi lantern event, where participants release floating lanterns over the water. The garden features more than 100 bonsai trees and is designed to incorporate all four seasons. Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from April 1 through Sept. 30; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from Oct. 1 through March 31. Admission: $5 for adults; $1 for adults 62-plus.

Memphis Botanic Garden

Memphis, Tennessee

a tree in the forefront with a pond and bridge in the background

The Memphis Botanic Garden features a koi-filled lagoon with a bright red half-moon bridge.

Courtesy Mike Kerr/Memphis Botanic Garden

The Memphis Botanic Garden’s dedicated Japanese garden, Seijaku-En, translates to “Garden of Tranquility.” It uses a common Japanese gardening technique, known as hide and reveal, where elements of the garden, such as rocks, water or lanterns, are revealed as people walk along the pathways. The garden features a koi-filled lagoon with a bright red half-moon bridge and a moongazing pavilion that overlooks the garden. The garden features many Japanese maple trees and is popular in March when the cherry trees are in bloom and there’s a picnic. Open: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during Central Daylight Time; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during Central Standard Time. Admission: $12 for adults; $10 for adults 62-plus.

Japanese Tea Garden

San Francisco

a highly arched drum bridge at a japanese garden

A highly arched drum bridge is one of the features at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco.

Courtesy Gardens of Golden Gate Park

The oldest public Japanese garden in the U.S., the Japanese Tea Garden opened in 1893 ahead of its debut in 1894 as an exhibition at the California Midwinter International Exposition. It occupies five acres in the 1,017-acre Golden Gate Park and features winding stepping stone pathways, stone lanterns, koi ponds and native Japanese plants. It has a striking, highly arched drum bridge, a gravel zen garden, a “treasure tower” Buddhist shrine pagoda and a teahouse that serves tea and snacks. Open: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from March to October; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from November to February. Admission: $15 for adults; $7 for adults 65-plus.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Delray Beach, Florida

a building near water at a japanese garden

Yamato-kan, the original museum building at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, sits at the heart of the gardens.

Courtesy Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, located west of Delray Beach, features two museum buildings, a library, a bonsai garden, a gift shop, a Japanese restaurant and the Roji-En garden (Garden of the Drops of Dew). Dedicated to sharing Japanese arts and culture, the museum hosts demonstrations, tea ceremonies and rock garden raking events that highlight Japanese cultural traditions. The garden features six spaces, each designed in a historic Japanese garden style, from the eighth through 19th centuries. Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission: $16 for adults; $14 for adults 65-plus.

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Rebecca Treon is a Denver-based freelance food and travel writer and the author of a forthcoming guidebook, Colorado Food Trails. You can find her work at rebeccatreon.com.

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