Embrace the beauty of summer in the Garden as it transitions from spring into its lush and calming greenery.
In 2026, Portland Japanese Garden is honored to welcome world-class exhibitions of contemporary art rooted in Japanese cultural traditions.
You can experience a year of Japanese celebrations with Portland Japanese Garden’s annual cultural festivals.
Carol Frankel, a retired educator and generous patron of Portland Japanese Garden, chatted about her life and why she supports the organization.
Lisa Christy and Aki Nakanishi Bring Decades of Expertise into Joint Leadership of Beloved Non-Profit Organization Portland, ORE., United States—January 16 2026—Lisa Christy, Executive Director of Portland Japanese Garden, and Aki Nakanishi, Director of Japan Institute and the Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art, and Education for Portland Japanese Garden have been named Co-CEOs of …
Portland Japanese Garden and Japan Institute have shared that Lisa Christy and Aki Nakanishi have been named Co-CEO.
At the beginning of 2026, and after a series of events that had created a sense of unease in its home city, Portland Japanese Garden made the decision to offer free admission from 1:30 to 3:30pm on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10 with the hopes that it might help bring calm and compassion to its community. We chatted with some of the people who were visiting us during this time to learn why they honored us with their presence.
On Sunday, January 11, Portland Japanese Garden celebrated O-Shogatsu, Japanese New Year. KPTV, Portland’s local FOX affiliate, visited the festivities and spoke with our guests and staff about the beloved annual tradition. The story is on their website and can also be viewed below.
2025 was an exciting and memorable year for Portland Japanese Garden! We embarked on a diverse range of incredible programming, welcomed some of the world’s most respected leaders across a variety of fields to Portland, and enjoyed the everlasting beauty and serenity of the Garden itself. The numbers that follow capture just a glimpse of the impact these experiences had on our community and beyond.
2025 was an exciting and memorable year for Portland Japanese Garden! The Garden embarked on a diverse range of incredible programming, welcomed some of the world’s most respected leaders across a variety of fields to Portland, and enjoyed the everlasting beauty and serenity of the Garden itself. Let’s take a look back at all that happened in 2025 at Portland Japanese Garden.