Portland Japanese Garden

"One of the most incredible places I’ve ever experienced. I truly can’t do this garden justice through words or pictures, you simple must got see it for yourself. There was a beautiful Koto performance during my visit and I was absolutely mesmerized by the music. A bucket list item for sure."

"I really loved the place, it is good for some fresh air and history. The music displayed by the artist was so peaceful and relaxing demonstration that if you have a chance to sit down and see the whole presentation will really enjoy it and learn about the Japanese culture. If you are interested in going to the cafe they have, it's better to have a reservation ahead."

"I've been to the Portland Japanese Garden twice, once with a buddy of mine and then again with my partner. It's such a tranquil environment to spend some time in a controlled and well-organized mixture of culture nature. The garden itself isn't huge and you can explore a lot of it in a couple of hours, but I would recommend taking your time in viewing the scenery and experiencing the places with all senses possible. If you're able to go on a weekday, it's especially well worth your money, as there are less people and you can enjoy the calmness of the environment. My partner and I went here on Valentine's Day and had an amazing first part of our day. It can get distracting and hectic here on the weekends with more people and a lot of kids involved, which I feel can be detracting from the place, though they do a good job attempting to combat that problem by setting a limit on how many people can enter at a certain time. The garden is different during all four seasons, and now my partner and I want to experience all of them together. There are a lot of reasons to go back besides that, though. It's a nice way to spend some time and decompress while still being outside and feeling productive. They have a cute little café and gift shop. Employees are kind and knowledgeable, and they look happy to work at this place."

"If you’re coming here you probably have an interest in Japanese gardens or wanted a pretty place to be in nature whether by yourself or with friends and family, well I have to say it was indeed beautiful. I’d say if you were to really speed run the sites you can walk through the whole park in 30 minutes to an hour but considering we should be mindful of the details that go into this beautiful garden I’d say if you’re an adult you can properly take in the sites and surroundings in 1.5-2 hours. So many small details and signs of beauty you would miss if you hurry through. It was a great way to spend the day, it was gorgeous and I really did feel at peace here while trying to be mindful of the work the staff put into maintaining this beautiful garden. On a clear day there’s a wonderful view of Mt. Hood? And you could spend much longer than 1.5-2 hours there if you chose to do so. You can walk up from the entrance to the main gardens or there is a bus and or parking that can get you up to the main attractions (I think). There’s also an area in the gardens where they hold exhibits, the current miniature exhibit (as of 02/24) was great and interesting and I’d recommend checking it out as well. There were no real negatives but I’ll list out what I wish I knew, as of now (02/24) the koi aren’t out in their usual numbers as they are doing something to keep them healthy until spring time comes in. And the traditional tea house is not what’s generally open to the public but a place where you can take photos of and walk by. I’m sure you can reserve a tea ceremony somehow, but I was excited to drink tea in a traditional tea house and didn’t realize the tea house/cafe on site was more modern (yet good and welcoming but not what I was hoping to do while here). Overall it’s gorgeous, a good time and when in Portland I’d recommend checking it out for sure, even in the winter (02/24) it was gorgeous and I can’t wait to experience this place during the different seasons!"

"Wrapping 2023 in a peaceful and tranquil place. As soon as you walk in the garden you feel relaxed and your mind quiets down. Everything looks so green and fresh in the rain, I’m sure that spring time is gorgeous with all the flowers, I will have to go back to check it out then. There is a little cute shop when you get to the top of the gardens and also a miniature sculptures exhibit. On a nice clear day you can see mount Hood. There is enough parking space but you have to pay for parking, and of course a restroom on premises."