James Irvine Japanese Garden Opening
Sunday, November 8, 2009, 1 p.m.
James Irvine Japanese Garden
244 South San Pedro Street, B-Level, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Opening Ceremony,
Ikkyou-Kai Zen Archery
Garden Tours by Award Winning Landscape Architect Dr. Takeo Uesugi
Live Traditional Japanese Music (koto and shakuhachi) by the Awaya-Kai Group
Refreshments
ADMISSION: FREE
After undergoing extensive renovation for the past two years, the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center is excited to announce the public opening of its award-winning James Irvine Japanese Garden. The formal dedication and celebration takes place on Sunday, November 8 and is free to the public.
Known in Japanese as Seiryu-en or “Garden of the Clear Stream,” the garden was first completed in 1980 and was constructed for the centennial celebration of the Japanese American community.
In September of 1981 the garden received the National Landscape Award from the American Association of Nurserymen during a White House ceremony. It is the highest award in the nation for environmental improvement and community beautification.
Over the years, however, lack of funds for maintenance left its mark on the increasingly distressed space.
In the summer of 2007 work began not only to restore the garden to its former splendor but also to repurpose the space to accommodate more frequent public use.
The island created by a split stream is now outfitted with a removable platform, furnishing a stage for cultural demonstrations, weddings, or performances.
Additionally, the slope gradient of the footpath circumferencing the garden has been modified to 8% in order to make it more accessible for seniors and wheelchairs.
The three bridges zigzagging over the stream and newly added retaining walls encourage visitors to leisurely appreciate the garden elements up close.
The renovation was led by Dr. Takeo Uesugi, a landscape architect who designed the original garden in 1980. Also on hand were many of the original gardeners and landscapers. Dr. Uesugi drew inspiration for the renovation from the Manyoshu, a Nara-period anthology of Japanese poetry.
Perhaps the most modern renovation to the garden is the inclusion of eco-friendly engineering. With a low water-use irrigation system designed to recycle stream water and solar powered lights along the footpath, the garden is, in every sense of the word “green.”
The basic layout of the garden, however, remains unchanged. As in the original design, the path of the “clear stream” symbolizes the journey of successive generations of Japanese in America. The rushing fall of water in the upper portion of the garden represents the struggles of the Issei generation against economic hardship and prejudices in a new land.
The stream then divides into two, signifying the political and cultural conflicts experienced by second generation Nisei, finally ending in a calm pond, symbolizing hope and peace for the Sansei and future generations.
Funding for the renovation came from the California State Department of Parks and Recreation under Proposition 40 as well as from private donations.
If, as in Jungian analysis, we understand the garden to symbolize potential and growth, then the garden renovation is especially timely. Responding to changing constituents, changing community needs, and an increasingly competitive environment for arts and cultural funding, the JACCC, too, is changing.
Having already implemented several upgrades in technology, the JACCC is positioning itself to make major operational and infrastructure changes over the next 5 years. This new day at the JACCC is writ large into the landscape of the reinvigorated garden, an oasis in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
The James Irvine Japanese Garden, located at 244 South San Pedro Street in Little Tokyo, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4pm; Saturday and Sunday, please call for schedule.
The garden is closed on Mondays.
Admission is free.
For more information and schedule of events, please call the JACCC at (213) 628-2725 ext. 128 or visit the website at www.jaccc.org.
Founded in 1980, the JACCC is the largest Asian American cultural center of its kind in the U.S. and is the preeminent presenter of Japanese, Japanese American and Asian American arts.
JACCC is home to a number of civic and arts organizations and serves as the cultural and community focal point of Japanese Americans throughout Southern California.