the most tranquil place in phx, AZ
I’ve always wanted to visit the Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG) because I love Japan and I love friendship. Not in a weird way though…
Proof I come from Wasia.
It’s been called the most tranquil place in Phoenix, AZ, by me after going one time.
While most of downtown Phoenix is incredibly crowded and therefore makes parking difficult, the area in which the JFG is located has a medium sized parking lot and street parking in the local neighborhoods, making it easy to reach by car.
When we walked through the entrance, we were greeted by both this sign and a volunteer, letting us know that entrance was free at this time. On First Fridays, or the first friday of every month, the JFG is free between the hours of 5:00-7:30 PM (last entry at 7 PM). Super conveniently, I found this out earlier in the day.
While I was not initially aware of how the JFG came to be, I found out that it has everything to do with Phoenix’s sister city, Himeji, in Japan. Funnily enough, in a previous article about the library, I saw a photography exchange that Himeji and Phoenix did, where two photographers from each place went and photographed the other. Incredibly interesting to see what people from different cultures choose to document in the other’s home. You can check out more here, and if you’re a photographer, it could be cool… to apply… maybe… Anyways, basically the mayor of Himeji a while back said to Phoenix, “Omg what if we built a garden to cement our friendship <3.” It’s 100% authentic and straight from Japan, a gift from the Himeji citizens. Sometimes the world is so beautiful and another city gifts your city a garden.
Phoenix and Himeji Celebrate 40-Year Sister Cities Anniversary With Delegation Visit
Photo by the Phoenix Sister Cities Staff
Inside of the JFG is filled to the brim with tranquility, even on First Friday. To your left, tranquility. To your right, serenity. In the middle, a huge koi pond. There’s too many tranquil places to count, and we many along our meandering path. I pulled some additional information from their website for the significance of different parts of the garden.
Technically in this super awkward photo you can see two features of the JFG, the drum bridge and middle island.
Drum Bridge – Taiko-Bashi 太鼓橋
& Middle Island – Nakajima 中島
Taiko-bashi (太鼓橋) is a high arched bridge made of stone or wood. When over water, the reflection completes a circular shape to resemble a drum.
The island is a kame-jima (亀島 ) or tortoise island, which is a type of island in pond or dry landscape gardens. It has a stone tortoise head, forelegs, hindlegs, and a tail.
Zig-zag Bridge – Yatsuhashi 八橋
Yatsuhashi (八橋) means eight-planked bridge. The bridge is a zig-zag shaped ‘two-planked’ bridge modified from its original eight planked-shape. The purpose of this shape is to slow down and enjoy the garden at a tranquil pace.
Stone Harbor – Funatsukiba 船着場 & Water Stepping Stones: Sawatari 沢渡り
Stone harbors are one of the features of Japanese stroll gardens and are often represented in garden ponds. The influence of the Heian & Muromachi (1336 – 1573) periods drew more attention to hide-and-reveal style stroll gardens designed to be enjoyed on foot. In traditional Japanese Gardens, sawatari (沢渡り) are stepping stone pathways that lead across shallow parts of the pond. These are arranged near the edge of the pond to allow a panoramic view of the garden.
Check out the JFG’s garden guide here for what more the garden has to offer!
Tranquil count: 6
