The Japanese Miyazu Garden celebrates the relationship between Nelson and its sister city Miyazu in the Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Both cities have a similar naturally formed coastal spits. While Nelson has the Boulder Bank, Miyazu has the Sandbar of Amanohashidate which is one of the 'Three Views of Japan'.
The Miyazu garden is a habitat for native and Japanese plants that symbolise the harmonising of the two cultures. When visiting you will walk along a little bamboo 'forest', a stone basin for ritual cleansing (before a tea ceremony), bridges and planks over/through ponds and if you come in spring around late September - blossoming cherry trees. At that time the garden is also hosting the annual Nelson Cherry Blossom Festival for a day.
It's a great place to have a little stroll and unwind or have a picnic.
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.
