Japanese Friendship Garden

Map

What visitors say

• Jessie Cain★★★★★

  The Japanese Friendship Garden is absolutely beautiful. Entry was easy with no line, and tickets were $16 without any special discounts. The pathways are wide and well-designed, making it easy for people to walk side by side or pass each other comfortably. Even with a good number of visitors, everyone was respectful, which made the experience feel enjoyable. One of the highlights for me was the koi pond. The fish were massive and clearly very well cared for. It’s obvious a lot of time and effort goes into maintaining them. The plant life throughout the garden is stunning, with a variety of species native to Japan arranged in a way that feels intentional and almost artistic. The bonsai trees were especially impressive. Seeing how they’re shaped and trained over time gave me a whole new appreciation for the craft. There are plenty of shaded areas and benches throughout the garden, which made it easy to slow down, people watch, or just sit and take everything in. I spent some time reading and listening to the birds, which added to the overall peaceful atmosphere. It was a busy day, and I found myself offering to take photos for people trying to get selfies, which ended up being a fun and surprisingly nice way to connect with others. This was my second visit, and it’s just as memorable as the first. Last time, I saw a couple doing baby photos, and this time there was even a wedding happening. It’s clearly a special place for a lot of people. As a bonus, there’s a great spot right outside the entrance for sushi, rice bowls, drinks, and desserts, which makes it easy to turn the visit into a full outing.

  4 months ago

• Isabella Sneezy★★★★★

  The first time I heard of a Japanese garden it was when a friend invited me to visit the one in phoenix Arizona. Today we visited the one in San Diego California. The staff at the window were friendly and happy. It's price reasonable which means you can take the family out for walks more often and truly enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. I visited on a Sunday and it was a little busy but enjoyable. This garden is a lot smaller then the Japanese garden in Oregon. Also less green but my guess is the plants have to be directly picked for the California weather. My favorite spots where the koi fish pond, and the bonsai tree display. Some of those trees are over 60 years old. The tea house with the art on the walls that has the windows over looking the Japanese dry garden was full of zen. This garden is known as karesansui (枯山水) or a Zen garden, it's a sand, gravel, rock area shaped in the form of a pond. But actual water is not used. There are still other areas that have not been fully completed. I saw some areas under construction. The gift shop is very small and it doesn't offer as many items as the Oregon gift shop. But they do offer one thing the Oregon shop did not have. Kimonos! Yes used vintage Kimonos. It was a great enjoyable walk for the entire family. We are committed to visiting every Japanese garden in the USA to compare the plants used for each region. Makes the experience educational in plants as well as in cultural. Hope you get a chance to visit.

  2 months ago

• Dalgal32★★★★★

  Absolutely loved this place! The gardens are very well done. Size-wise it is deceptive. It looks small, but the zig-zag layout on the side of a hill makes it quite large in actuality. The bonsai garden showed a variety of types of trees used and pruning patterns. There is a small art gallery. The variety of plants is nice but it is the abundant water features and koi ponds that really make this a beautiful, peaceful spot. It would be a great wedding venue and has outdoor space for that. They also have a gift shop and education center.

  2 months ago

• Jazmine Scott★★★★★

  My daughter and I came here and it has easily been one of my favorite parts of our vacation to San Diego. My daughter and I both loved seeing the humongous koi fish and the beautiful plants all throughout the grounds. There are a lot of beautiful waterfalls and statues. The gift shop was nice and we each got a couple of souvenirs. I was appreciative of the benches and other sitting areas throughout since my daughter is young and needed breaks. The little Japanese street food restaurant also had some great shrimp tempura as a small snack! All in all, we loved experiencing this beautiful place and definitely encourage others to visit as well!

  4 months ago

• Suyog Doshi★★★★★

  Visited the Japanese Friendship Garden and found it to be a very peaceful and beautifully designed place. It’s perfect to explore in about an hour or two, especially if you enjoy nature and calm surroundings. What I loved most was the variety of unique and well-maintained trees—it’s fascinating to see such diverse greenery in one place. The walking trail is thoughtfully built, making great use of a compact area while still offering a nice sense of exploration. The koi fish pond and overall architecture add to the charm, making it feel like a small slice of Japan. We visited towards the end of the cherry blossom season, but were still fortunate to catch some lovely pink blooms, which made the experience even more special. A relaxing and scenic spot—definitely worth a visit!

  5 months ago

Reviews from Google · See more on Google Maps

Nearby places