Japanese Stroll Garden
of
Springfield, Missouri
Click here for more water scenes of the garden.

    Welcome to the Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, Missouri.  The Garden is located on a 7.5 acre plot in Nathanael Greene Park at 2400 S. Scenic.
    The Garden is open from 9 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. (gates close at 7:30) on Thursdays through Mondays from April 1 until October 31 each year.  There is an admission fee of $3 for those over 12 years of age.

Click here for more views of the tea hut.

    Assistance in developing the Garden was received from Springfield's Japanese Sister City of Isesaki.  They are responsible for the donation of numerous trees as well as money for the construction of the tea hut.  In addition, a landscape supervisor from Springfield's Parks Department was sent to Isesaki for three months to learn how to care for and maintain a Japanese garden.
 

Click here for more views of the Moon Bridge.
 
    Essential to this Japanese garden is water and rocks.  Movement in the garden is around ponds and islands.  Each area of the garden is an individual scene which can be viewed and experienced separately from the others.  The essence of nature is the main theme in the garden, but the viewer is invited to complete the picture in his or her own mind.

 

Click here for a fall view and a close-up

    Springfield has maintained a sister city relationship with Isesaki, Japan since July 1986.  Several governmental and cultural exchanges have occured since that time.  The city of Isesaki has also donated an Azumaya (a gazebo) and cherry blossom trees for the Friendship Park at the city hall in Springfield.

Dragon Dancers at the Japanese Stroll Garden.     Recently, Springfield was visited by a special group of performers from Isesaki, the Dragon Dancers. Citizens of the area could watch them perform at Nathanael Greene Park, as well as experience other cultural aspects of Japan.
Dragon Dancers at the Japanese Stroll Garden.

Have you checked out everything at this site?  Are you ready to show how much you now know about the Japanese Garden and Springfield's sister city?  If so, you're ready to take the quiz.

Click here if you are an elementary school student.
If you are in high school or middle school, click here.
 
 

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Web Page Copyright by Brian Zahn,  October1997
Information for this page obtained from:  Carrol Lund, Springfield Public Information Office, Springfield Parks Department