Kubota Garden
Encyclopedia
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
in the Rainier Beach
Rainier Beach, Seattle, Washington
Rainier Beach is a set of neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington that are mostly residential. Also called Atlantic City, Rainier Beach can include Dunlap, Pritchard Island, and Rainier View neighborhoods....
neighborhood of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. A public park since 1987, it was started in 1927 by Fujitaro Kubota, a Japanese emigrant. Today, it is maintained as a public park by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and the Kubota Garden Foundation.
History
Fujitaro Kubota emigrated from ShikokuShikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1907 and established the Kubota Gardening Company in 1923. Projects of his included the garden at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
and the Japanese garden at Bloedel Reserve
Bloedel Reserve
The Bloedel Reserve is a forest garden on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, made by the vice-chairman of a lumber company, under the influence of the conservation movement and Asian philosophy...
in Bainbridge Island. In 1927, he bought 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of swampland in Rainier Beach to start the garden and in 1930 increased the size of the garden to 30 acres (121,405.8 m²). Kubota Garden served as cultural center for the Japanese community in Seattle, as well as a home, office and nursery for his business. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kubota Garden was abandoned for four years as Kubota and his family were interned at Camp Minidoka in Idaho. During his internment, Kubota supervised the building of a community park, which included a Japanese rock garden. After the war, he and his sons Tak and Tom Kubota rebuilt the business.
The Japanese government awarded Kubota the Fifth Class Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
in 1972 "for his achievements in his adopted country, for introducing and building respect for Japanese Gardening in this area." Kubota maintained the garden until his death in 1973.
In 1981, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board declared the core 4.5 acres (18,210.9 m²) of the park to be a historical landmark of the City of Seattle. In 1987, the City of Seattle bought the garden from the Kubota family, and it is now maintained by the Department of Parks and Recreation as well as volunteers from the Kubota Garden Foundation.
In addition, 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) surrounding the park has been purchased by the Open Space Program in the City of Seattle in order to protect Mapes Creek
Mapes Creek
Mapes Creek is a stream in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs through Kubota Garden and Beer Sheva Park on its way to Lake Washington....
, which runs through the park. The Tom Kubota Stroll Garden broke ground in 1999 and was opened in 2000. The garden received a new entrance gate designed by Gerard Tsutakawa
Gerard Tsutakawa
Gerard "Gerry" Tsutakawa, born 1947, son of artist George Tsutakawa, is an accomplished Pacific Northwest sculptor. Tsutakawa has had numerous public and private commissions, perhaps his best known being the 9' bronze sculpture titled "Mitt" outside of Seattle's Safeco Field...
in 2004.
The garden has encountered the problems associated with vandalism when the staff has left for the day—as evidenced by beer bottles strewn about on the property. Shell casings are a sign that firearms have been fired; and graffiti has appeared.
Kubota Garden Foundation
The Kubota Garden Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1989 to "support, enhance, and perpetuate the Kubota Garden within the spirit and vision of Fujitaro Kubota." Kubota's vision included opening the garden to the public and increasing American understanding and appreciation of Japanese Gardens. The foundation provides additional fundraising, volunteer work, and publications to support the garden.Features and programs
The garden is open to the public every day during daylight hours all year round. School children, senior groups, tourists, and garden clubs make up a large portion of their audience.Major features of the Kubota Garden include the Meeting Lawn, the Bamboo Grove, the Necklace of Ponds, the Mountainside, and the Tom Kubota Stroll Garden.
The fourth Saturday between April and October, the Kubota Garden holds a public tour.
The Kubota Gardens contain many varieties of trees and plants including Kuretake (Phyllostachys nigra or Black Bamboo), Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlanticus Glauca), and Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
(Picea abies).