Morikami Gardens in Boca Raton Florida
Morikami Gardens is a living museum and botanical garden in the United States. It is located in Boca Raton on Powerline (Jog Rd) near Delray Beach.
The property contains two museums structures, the Roji-en Japanese Gardens or also known as Garden of the Drops of Dew along with the well-known bonsai garden. The library features a variety of books and magazines, a gift store with items like Cornell apparel and other Cornell-related gifts, and the Cornell Café where you can enjoy coffee, tea, pastries, soups, sandwiches and more. It also has a Japanese restaurant to enjoy delectable dishes.
The buildings on the property consist of a rotating gallery space that showcases art installations and holds traditional Japanese events like tea ceremonies and classes. Traditional Japanese festivals are held multiple times throughout the year on the property.
Throughout the year, the museum exhibitions a number of different Japanese art and antiquity based exhibitions. These exhibits run for a variety of different durations and give visitors an opportunity to explore Japan’s history in an interactive way.
Exhibitions hosted by the museum highlight artifacts from its extensive collection, as well as works loaned by private collectors and other institutions. The exhibitions are often curated to highlight a certain facet of Japan’s rich and diverse culture, typically showcasing the art and history of various time periods or themes.
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, which cover an area of 188.5 acres (76.3 ha), includes one picnic gazebo, multiple smaller huts for picnics, and a playground. The museum’s galleries provide a comprehensive introduction to the culture and history of Japan.
Every year, the museum and gardens in this area hold a variety of Japanese-inspired events such as Oshogatsu in January, Hatsume Fair Festival in April, and the Lantern Festival in October. Popular tourist spots for people from all over the state due to their food and art exhibits showcased during these yearly events.
To compliment the museum, the Roji-en Japanese Gardens were created. The Roji-en Japanese Gardens are influenced by prominent garden styles throughout Japanese history. Hoichi Kurisu designed them and they were finished in 2001.
The gardens are open to visitors every day of the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The gardens are named for Dr. Charles Morikami (1917–2002), who donated his estate to Dade County for use as a public garden. Take a walk in the garden, enjoy the scent of flowers and get some fresh air to revitalize your mind.
The gardens were originally developed by Charles Morikami, who inherited the property from his father George Morikami (1887–1957). George had been one of the first Japanese immigrants to settle in Florida after being lured there by Henry Plant’s offer of 160 acres (0.65 km2) of free land to anyone willing to grow oranges
The gardens are divided into three sections: The Natural Garden, The Cultural Garden, and The Traditional Garden. There are different types of plants in each section that represent specific aspects of Japanese culture or history. For example, the Natural Garden features different types of native plants that are representative of the natural beauty and indigenous wildlife across Japan.
Source: Morikmi Musem and Gardens
Harlan Kilstein has been a Boca Resident since 1997. He know the ins and out of Boca
