A visit to Nitobe Memorial Garden

Picture a chilly spring day, the wind just picked up delivering a light, but persistent, misting of rain, as it is wont to do in Vancouver.

We were on a walking tour with our B.C. crew at the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus and a visit to Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC Botanical Garden was high on my list of priorities. I have visited the garden on several occasions in the past, but never in the spring when the cherry trees were in bloom. This year would be different — rain or shine.

The Nitobe Japanese garden is considered to be one the best traditional Japanese gardens in North America and one of the top five outside of Japan.

Completed in 1960, this Shintostyle stroll garden includes an authentic Zen garden and ceremonial tea house and was designed by landscape architect Kannosuke Mori from Chiba University in Japan as a memorial to enshrine the spirit of Dr. Inez Nitobe (18621933). According to the garden’s website, “the garden realizes Dr. Nitobe’s dream of becoming a bridge across the Pacific to foster intercultural understanding.”

Japanese gardens have a distinctive style with each element selected and placed deliberately and with great care.

For Nitobe Memorial Garden, boulders, rocks and even small stones were selected from around the province, along with a wide range of native plants. Additional plants, carefully chosen for this specific garden, were shipped from Japan. Mori not only placed each rock and plant individually, he also taught the workers the proper construction and maintenance techniques for the future preservation and maintenance of the garden, according to the UBC website.

While I have enjoyed several relaxing strolls through this memorable garden, until this week, I did not truly appreciate the meditative qualities of the space — it may be interpreted as a “symbolic journey through life” with key stages of life represented. Let me introduce you to a few of the key symbols.

Stone lanterns

Lanterns are an important feature of Japanese gardens. They symbolize light dispelling darkness, and are often located where two paths meet, reminding us of the choices we have in life. Within the Nitobe garden, the circular design of the garden and the different marriage lanterns can turn a simple stroll around the garden into a meaningful time of reflection and prayer.

Bridges

Within this garden, several bridges cross over water and are meant to symbolize different stages of life including marriage and spiritual growth.

Trees

Pruned in the Tokyo style, native British Columbian western red cedar and western hemlock show off the intricate structures of their trunks and branches. Japanese maple and cherry trees also figure prominently in this garden. The moist B.C. climate ensures the trees are also decorated with soft green moss. The ground beneath the trees is carpeted with mosses, the roots of mature trees create intricate raised patterns beneath the moss. On the day of our visit, a worker, bundled up to stay dry, was on all fours, meticulously clearing all foreign matter from a hillside blanketed in moss — her love for the place was reflected in her respect and care for the task at hand, despite the inclement weather.

Waterfalls

In the Shinto religion, a waterfall can illustrate both the male and female traits of nature. The strength of a waterfall represents the masculine traits, while the calm, quiet water of the stream represents the female side of nature.

According to the website, a stroll around the garden can be completed in as little as 20 minutes, but simply completing the course is not the point. The site recommends at least 45 minutes to contemplate the symbolism and let the garden speak to your heart — I could see spending an afternoon capturing the many moments, from structures, plant life, reflections and even the miniature landscapes supported by the carpets of moss.

With several visits to Nitobe Memorial Garden under my belt, I’ve witnessed the rich colours of the Japanese maples dressed in their autumn glory and the optimism of decadent Japanese cherry blossoms in the spring, but I have yet to take the time to thoughtfully stroll around the garden, contemplating the meaning of life — the goal for my next visit.

THERESA FORTE PHOTOS A curved traditional bridge gently crosses a pond dappled with raindrops in the Nitobe Memorial Garden in Vancouver, B.C. Flowering Japanese cherry trees decorate the backdrop.

Stone lanterns symbolize light dispelling darkness in Japanese gardens. This lantern on Turtle Island, known as the Snow Viewing Lantern, is believed to represent a mother figure.

Before visitors enter the Nitobe Memorial Garden, their senses are awakened as they follow the irregular stone path leading to the garden’s entrance.

The soft colours, gently arching trees and inviting pathways welcome visitors to Turtle Island at the heart of the Nitobe Memorial Garden.