The Miyazu Japanese Garden celebrates the relationship between Nelson and its sister city Miyazu in the Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Both cities have a similar naturally formed coastal spit: Nelson has the Boulder Bank, while Miyazu has the sandbar of Amanohashidate, one of the 'Three Views of Japan'.
The garden is a habitat for native and Japanese plants that symbolise the harmonising of the two cultures. On a visit you will walk past a little bamboo 'forest' and a stone basin for ritual cleansing (used before a tea ceremony), and cross bridges and planks over and through the ponds. It's a great place for a stroll, to unwind or to have a picnic.
Come in spring, around late September, and the garden's cherry trees are in blossom. At that time the garden also hosts the annual Nelson Cherry Blossom Festival for one day which usually takes place on a weekend in late September.
The garden sits on Atawhai Drive, just north of the city centre, and entry is free. Planning began in 1990 and it officially opened in October 1995. The timber entrance gate is recycled from the old port, and once through it the road noise fades quickly.
Inside you will find two main ponds, the Dragon Pond and the Raupo Pond, connected by stepping stones and bridges. Crane and Tortoise Islands sit within the garden, named after creatures revered in Japan as symbols of longevity, with a bridge between them representing the friendship between the two cities.
The garden is also available for weddings.
