Kubota Garden

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View towards the Kubata Garden gate.

Kubota Garden is a 20 acre (81,000 m²) Japanese garden in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.^[1] A public park since 1987, it was begun in 1927 by Fujitaro Kubota, who had arrived from Shikoku, Japan, 20 years before, and started his own gardening company in 1923. Among his early clients was Seattle University. The garden increased from 5 acres (20,000 m²) to the present size during the 1930s.^[2]

Kubota and his family were interned at Camp Minidoka, Idaho, during World War II, during which time the garden was not maintained. They returned after the war and Kubota continued to maintain the garden until his death in 1973. The year before his death, the Japanese Government awarded him the Fifth Class Order of the Sacred Treasure, "for his achievements in his adopted country, for introducing and building respect for Japanese Gardening in this area."

The garden achieved landmark status in the 1980s, thereby avoiding being developed as condominiums. The city purchased the land in 1987 and has since bought 17 acres (69,000 m²) of open space next to the garden. Despite these proofs of success, the garden has also encountered the problems associated with vandalism when the staff has left for the day -- as evidenced by beer bottles strewn about on the property. Shell casings are a sign that firearms have been fired; and graffiti has appeared.^[3]

Mapes Creek runs through the garden, which also features a number of ponds.