Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Morikami’s 40th anniversary
40th anniversary celebration included tours, exhibits and music
Museum celebration honors Japanese settlers.
DELRAY BEACH — Driving down Yamato Road, it’s easy to forget that the area was once filled with pineapple farms run by Japanese settlers.
Sunday marked the 40th anniversary of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, a 16-acre showcase of the culture of those settlers and their contributions to South Florida.
“It’s pretty amazing to have this piece of history related to Japan right here in South Florida,” said Jonathan Diaz, 26, who drove from his home in Miami for the event.
The event included walking tours of the gardens, Japanese art exhibits, musical performances with Japanese instruments and special sushi.
Visitors also could write down their memories of the museum for inclusion in a time capsule, which will be buried during a private ceremony today, Morikami marketing manager Jillian Kogan said.
The museum started as a villa called “Yamato-kan” that opened in 1977. It’s namesake, George Sukeji Morikami, donated the plot to Palm Beach County to be preserved as an ode to the Yamato Colony, of which he was a part.
A 29-year-old Japanese man named Jo Sakai started the colony in 1905 as a way to revitalize Florida’s agricultural economy, which was devastated after the Civil War, according to the Morikami’s website.
But competition with Cuban pineapple farmers and the land boom of the 1920s soon pushed many of the Japanese farmers out.
The museum now houses a permanent exhibition, “The Yamato Colony: Pioneering Japanese in Florida,” as well as a research library on Japanese culture.
Earlier this year, the Morikami was on the world stage when first lady
Melania Trump and Akie Abe, wife of Japan’s prime minister, visited the grounds. The museum reported a 25 percent spike in visitors after their Feb. 11 visit.
Future plans for the Morikami could include a traditional Japanese inn and spa.
Visitors toured the gardens Sunday, which were originally designed to mirror famous areas in Japan.
“It’s really beautiful,” said Marisa Moo-Yong, 15, who visited Morikami for the first time with her friends and her parents. “My favorite part was the giant Buddha outside.”