One Hundred Years in the Huntington’s Japanese Garden: Harmony with Nature

For more than one hundred years, the Japanese Garden at the Huntington has served as a bellwether for the West’s engagement with Asian culture. With its distinctive moon bridge, wisteria arbors, koi-filled ponds, bonsai courts, bamboo forest, and historical Japanese House, this nine-acre garden has captivated visitors so much that it has become one of the most photographed spots in Southern California. This lavishly illustrated volume explores the garden’s history, from its development for the Huntington estate as a display of fashionable, cultivated taste, to its quiet deterioration and neglect during World War II, to its resurgence in the 1950s as a showcase for Japanese culture and garden arts. Just before its centennial, the garden and its Japanese House underwent a comprehensive renovation. The highlight of its new features is a ceremonial teahouse, Seifu-an (Arbor of Pure Breeze), set within a traditionally landscaped tea garden. Contributors: Kendall H. Brown, James Folsom, Naomi Hirahara, Robert Hori, Kelly Sutherlin McLeod, and FAIA.