The stone lantern at the start of our exploration of Rohoen Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix which is designed in the hide-and-reveal style. I wrote about more exciting parts of the weekend with Japanese gardens, guests and fire HERE.
Our docent guide was in her late 70s, from Japan and was a foreign exchange student when she came to the US. She laughed and said she was into “rock and roll” and loved the West.
She explained the meaning of the garden’s name Rohoen:
The characters on the brochure are our gardens name, Rohoen (鷺鳳園), and represent the following:
鷺 Ro – Japanese word for Heron, a symbol of Himeji City. Shira Sagi Jou, or the White Heron, is the name of the famous Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Himeji City is the sister city of Phoenix.)
鳳 Ho – Japanese word for the mythical Phoenix bird.
園 En – Japanese word for Garden.
How amazing it is to have an authentic Japanese garden in the middle of a desert? The architect and designers from Japan had to find native desert plants and others that would thrive in a climate very different than Japan. Only 17 out of the 107 varieties of plants are Japanese.
From the Visitor’s Guide:
The Japanese Friendship Garden, Rohoen, is an authentic Japanese stroll garden designed by Mr. Nozomu Okita in the traditional miegkaure (見え隠れ) style. Miegakure, or hide-and-reveal design, is prevalent in Japanese stroll gardens where the entirety of the garden is never visible at once. Instead, the viewer is led to uncover intentionally hidden views of the landscape while strolling along its curved paths. New visual compositions are revealed as one moves through the various garden regions. Each rock, plant, and ornament has been selected and placed with skill and sensitivity.
Kasuga-doro (春日灯籠, stone lantern from Kasuga) are the style of lantern most frequently used in Japanese gardens. They originated at the Kasuga shrine in Nara, Japan’s ninth century capital. Our ten-foot tall Kasuga-doro is our main lookout point, where the garden’s four distinct landscapes are easily viewed. These include the low-lying grasslands, the woodlands, forested mountains, and stone beaches.
Out friends from our swim team days are into gardening. Especially Japanese gardens. They planned a trip to Phoenix from Palm Springs to visit the garden and stayed with us. They have flown to Portland, Oregon to see a Japanese garden. They are planning a trip next year to Japan to see more Japanese gardens and have invited us to join them. We’re thinking about it.
At their home, they have Japanese elements like olive trees pruned in the bonzai style. They are building a koi pond. Also, their amazing garden has mangos, peaches, mulberries, and other fruit and many vegetables.
Our guests brought us fruit from their garden:
Fresh peaches from Palm Springs. I never knew peaches grew there. I thought it was too hot.
Two of the basket of mulberries they brought us. I’ve never seen or tasted a mulberry before. They are super sweet and juicy, and filled with health benefits like vitamin C, iron, and mulberries help reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and cancer risk!
Here are photos from our tour:
Looking back at the lantern from across the koi pond.
A cormorant on a rock in the water.
Shachi, a mythical creature with a dragon head and fish body.
I learned that a true bonzai has to be in a pot. There were many trees in the garden that were pruned in the bonzai style.
One last beautiful view of the garden’s many shades of green. It was so special to visit the Japanese Friendship Garden with good friends.
Where have you visited Japanese gardens? What was your favorite part?
Have you ever tried a mulberry?
I am amazed by this Japanese garden in the middle of a desert! I like the Shachi motif, nothing like a fish to guard a castle with dignity. Beautiful photos.
I had no idea it existed. It was our friends who introduced us to it. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much! Boy, was I surprised. Love the Shachi.
Beautiful place to visit EA! I imagine just finding a quiet spot and sitting to view and contemplate the world going by. Our zoo in Tacoma has/or at least used to have a small Japanese garden area. I distinctly remember the pagoda. I’ve also visited a lovely garden in Golden Gate Park. I would have had no idea what a mulberry looked like! I’ve only ever heard the name but never seen one. They sort of look like extra long blackberries.
Yes, we were on a tour, but afterwards we found a place in the shade to sit. I could easily go back by myself and do that for a few hours! That was my first time seeing and eating mulberries. They do look like extra long blackberries, but they aren’t firm. There’s thin fiber down the middle like a string so they are wobbly of limp. I found out our friends bought their mulberry tree in Phoenix, so in the fall when cool weather returns, I’m going to look for one.
That would be amazing if you can grow them in your yard! Imagine what the birds will do…you’ll need another Bird Buddy in the mulberry tree 🙂
I was worried that the birds would get the fruit before me. I had lunch with a friend yesterday who said her neighbor has a mulberry tree. She said they have huge leaves that protect the fruit from the birds.
I love the Japanese gardens – modest as they are – in our local botanic garden but I’ve never seen a cormorant on a rock. Love that photo! And the mulberries? I’ve had them in a jam but never knew they grew like that. Thanks for taking us along! 🥰
Thanks for coming along and enjoying mulberries and cormorants. We had a modest Japanese garden at the Huntington Library in So Cal. I loved taking my kids there for special days together. Great memories.
Love it! 🥰
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I haven’t been to the Japanese garden since I was young, but it’s beautiful! I love your pictures, E.A.!
Also, if you like peaches, they grow quite well in Phoenix. My parents had two peach trees for 30+ years. They lost them in a monsoon storm a few years back, but they always had an abundance of delicious fruit.
A friend of mine had a mulberry tree growing up. There’s a nursery way out near Apache Junction called Tropica Mango that sells all kinds of rare and exotic tropical fruit trees, so that would be a great place to check. I’ve purchase lots of great stuff there over the years.
Thanks for the a tip about the nursery, peaches and mulberry trees. I’ll check it out. Fresh fruit would be so nice to have. We had 16 citrus trees in Palm Springs and I miss it. We had blood oranges, tangerines, navel oranges, pink and white grapefruit. The Japanese garden was so serene and beautiful. I loved it!
What a lovely place. I like the sense of peace it exudes. I’ve eaten mulberry as a kid and loved them. Picked right off the tree to eat.
It is so peaceful. I could sit there for hours. Yum. I hope to plant a mulberry tree in the fall.
That’s cool.
👍🏼
Palm Spring peaches. Who knew? I did have a mulberry years ago and recall it being pretty tasty. I’ve never toured a garden like that before, but it definitely was fun taking this one. Beautiful shots.
Thank you. I lived in Palm Springs for almost 30 years and never heard of peaches grown there. The Japanese Garden is amazing.
So many beautiful views in this post, Elizabeth. I’ve never seen a mulberry before. And I love the intentionality of the garden design so you never see it all at once. What a wonderful delight!
The big surprise was the waterfall that was tucked away until about halfway through. Then there is a Tea House. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
I have been to several little Japanese gardens. The biggest one was in Texas, which we enjoyed. Love visiting them.
We had a mulberry tree when I was little, and the mulberries were so tasty!
How fun to visit Japanese gardens. What was the climate like in Texas where you visited? I know Texas has different areas with different weather? Did they use native plants or Japanese ones? I can’t wait to plant a mulberry tree in the fall!
Nice photos.
Thanks!
Beautiful shots EA!
Thanks Brian. It was a special weekend with great friends and being introduced to the Japanese garden. Until the wildfire phone calls!
Yea, hope no more wildfires. Hope a fun rest of the year.
I’m all for that! Vacation time ahead 😊
What a truly beautiful and magical place! Thank you for taking us with you.
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos and going along for the tour.
I’ve been to the ones in Portland and San Francisco. I enjoy them in their entirety. So serene. I love they manage to create one in Phoenix!
Never had a mulberry in my life. I always associate mulberry with trees with silkworms (which of course are really moth caterpillars).
Our friends loved the Portland one. I’ll have to visit the Japanese garden in SF, next time I visit our kids. I’m thinking about planting a mulberry tree in the fall when the weather cools down. But my husband is worried about the rats it would attract. Hmm…
Yeah, no fruit trees for us. We already have rats, but encouraging bears is a no-no!
No to bears!
Love! I love any and all gardens, so if I can fit one in, I go. Love them.all
It was such a treat to find this gem in downtown Phoenix.