Today, city leaders broke ground on the Portland Japanese Garden's new expansion (see the designs here). You have just over a week to catch the garden before it closes on September 8th till next Spring.


Shrine Maiden ceremony


Honoring two of the original gardeners from Japan, Hoichi Kurisu and Takao Donuma


expansion architect Kengo Kuma (extensive interview here)


Shinto priests give cutting offerings to Portland representatives, Jordan Schnitzer shown here


Consul General Furusawa, Commissioner Nick Fish and Steve Bloom CEO Portland Japanese Garden


Last but not least, construction workers receive a blessing and respect

Overall, there is something so Portland about our civic closeness to Japanese culture and we have much to learn from them... call them lessons in excellence standards and cultural poise. At the same time the Japanese are enamored with our pragmatically funky innovations. The garden expansion should cement the cultural interchange as it is more than a mere exchange. Portland is young and learning how to express its values and identity as culture. I could even see curating a Portland-style neighborhood in Japan, one full of individualistic food, art and music.