Learning from The Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon
The Japanese Gardens in Portland is a perfect retreat when you want to indulge in a little contemplation. In Spring the soft rain adds an audio and scented other dimension. Walking slowly through the gardens in Spring is one of the most calming and mind opening experiences in Portland.
The attention to detail is lovely and the whole spirit of the place is a reminder that we can live harmoniously with nature even as we bend it to our will. But the more important lesson from the gardens is this: That there is real value in ancient aesthetics and ways of thinking. In todays frenetic world here is an aesthetic of harmony and calm. A perfect antidote. If you need a space in which to think, and you are in Portland, then it is here in the greens and bright floral colors of The Japanese Garden.
Sadafumi Uchiyama is the garden’s curator and has done a masterful job of bringing this ancient tradition into the heart of Portland, Oregon. The Garden teaches us about attention to detail and is not only a visually inspiring place but an audio treat. Especially when the rains come.
If ever you want to examine the relationship between humanity and nature a good place to start is the ancient discipline of Japanese Gardens. Here we have both the natural and human worlds in harmony, each seemingly happy to be.