Japanese Friendship Garden and Teahouse

Margaret Hance Park, 1125 N. 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 602-256-3204

Hours: Saturdays 8 am – 4 pm and by arrangement



Visit an authentic Japanese Friendship Garden and Teahouse for a guided tour and a living demonstration of how the threads of Japan’s literary, art, and religious traditions are woven together with nature to create the subtle beauty of the Japanese garden and tea ceremony.



The Japanese Friendship Garden - Ro Ho En features more than 1,500 tons of handpicked rock, more than 50 varieties of plants, flowing streams, a 12-foot waterfall and a Koi pond. The Garden is the product and shared cultural vision of the Sister Cities of Phoenix and Himeji, Japan. In the midst of the Garden is an authentic Japanese Tea House.



The Tea House is a gift to the City of Pheonix from its sister city of Himeji Japan. The Tea House was originally located in the medieval castle town of Himeji. It was painstakingly dismantled and re-constructed in a Phoenix city park by Japanese architects. Gardeners from Japan reproduced the lovely and contemplative garden that surrounds the Tea House.



The Tea House is affiliated with the Urasenke Foundation (http://www.urasenke.org/). The Urasenke Tradition of Tea Urasenke Konnichinan of Kyoto, Japan is one of three major establishments that have preserved and furthered the rich cultural tradition known as chanoyu or the Way of Tea. The first generation of Urasenke, Sen Rikyu (1522-91), was a seminal figure in the transition of the Way of Tea from a medieval practice to its modern form. Twice each month a Tea Master from the Urasenke Foundation conducts a full Japanese Tea Ceremony at the Garden. The Tea Ceremony is an elegant ritual dating back to 11th century Japan. It represents a tradition of art and artistry that is grounded in the Japanese interpretation of Buddhism, the way of the Samurai warrior, and the subtle beauty of Japanese aesthetics. The Tea Ceremony is as relevant to Japanese culture today as it was 900 years ago when it was practiced in the Kyoto court of the Heian emperor.



Admission to the Garden is $1. Guided tours with a docent are available for an additional $3. School Groups Welcome. For more information, see http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/jfg.html or contact japanese.friendship.garden.pks@phoenix.gov.

Sponsored by the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission and the Phoenix Parks Department.