Japanese garden celebrates milestone

To mark the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada, a serene Japanese garden has been created on the grounds of City Hall. It is located along the East Wing and faces Cambie Street.

Designed to represent the relationship between Canada and Japan, the garden features trees, bushes and plants that represent our two countries. It includes rock formations, a water feature, wrapped bamboo rods and basalt rock from Squamish. A dry stream bed represents our two cultures running together, while a Japanese maple tree and a Canadian maple tree symbolize each country. The Japanese consulate donated a decorative stone lantern and bowl that will have water trickling into it.

The Japanese garden reuses City Hall trees as well as hundreds of new plants. All of the existing bushes and plants, including mature azaleas and rhododendrons, were carefully removed and replanted in city parks and into the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden at Stanley Park. An existing deciduous magnolia and an evergreen magnolia tree were incorporated into the garden design. Each spring, you’ll see 250 flowering azaleas provide a bright and colourful display.