The following article appeared in the July 24, 2013 edition of the Lethbridge Sun Times newspaper and website.
By Judy Westcott
The Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden has been providing a
sanctuary of inner peace and serenity to visitors from around the world for 46
years and now plans are underway to have it designated a national heritage site
by 2017.
 |
| Photo by Tom Buchanan |
“We have a fiftieth anniversary committee working on plans
for 2017,” says Lindy Rollingson, executive director of the Lethbridge and
District Japanese Garden Society, which operates the Garden for a fee on behalf
of the City of Lethbridge.
“We are also in the process of applying for municipal
heritage status, which will lead to applications for provincial and then
national heritage designations,” she says.
The heritage designations will be the
icing on the cake for Nikka Yuko, which has received numerous awards from
Communities in Bloom over the years and has been voted as one of the top 10
Canadian gardens to see by MSN’s Canadian travel website. It is also ranked 21
out of 330 Japanese gardens in North America by Sukiya Living Magazine, a
bi-monthly English-language print publication dedicated to the special world of
Japanese gardens and Japanese architecture.
Nikka Yuko also received a Commendation from Susumu
Fukuda, Consul-General of Japan in Calgary during its 46th
anniversary celebrations this month for its achievements in contributing to the
mutual understanding and friendship between Japan and Canada.
“This was very special for us and we feel very
honoured to have received this,” says Rollingson, noting each Consul-General is
allowed only one Commendation per year.
Opened in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centennial, Nikka Yuko was built to recognize contributions made by
citizens of Japanese ancestry to southern Alberta and as a symbol of
international friendship. Its name was created from the Japanese words Ni (from
Nihon meaning Japan), ka from Kanada or Canada, and Yuko, which translates as
"friendship" to mean “Japan-Canada friendship”.
Nikka Yuko is rich in symbolism,
capturing elements of the southern Alberta landscape while simultaneously
integrating traditional Japanese philosophy and symbols.
“Every tree, shrub and rock has been
carefully chosen and placed to create perfect harmony,” says Rollingson.
Japanese garden designer and
landscape architect Tadashi Kubo, of Osaka Prefecture University was
commissioned in the 1960s to design the 1.6 hectare (four acre) garden. His
colleague, Masami Sugimoto, also of Osaka Prefecture University, oversaw the
construction, evaluating and adjusting each detail on site until every aspect
of the garden was harmoniously balanced.
Now professor emeritus of Kobe Design University, Sugimoto recently made his 10th visit to the Garden
to celebrate the 46th anniversary and to provide guidance to the
three full-time staff arborists. Masa Mizuno, a master arborist from Portland,
Oregon who visits annually to provide guidance.
Rollingson says all the structural
components of Nikka Yuko were handcrafted in Kyoto, which includes the teahouse/pavilion,
bell tower, azumaya shelter, gates, benches and bridges. They were built of aromatic wood from
yellow cypress and cedar, dismantled, and shipped across the ocean to Canada.
Five master tradesmen from Kyoto travelled to Lethbridge to reassemble the
structures on the garden site with assistance from Canadian tradesmen.
Rollingson says the bronze Friendship
Bell, which hangs in the bell tower, was commissioned specifically for Nikka
Yuko and cast in Kyoto.
Artisans in Kyoto carved the stone lanterns and pagoda
(composed of five tiers to represent earth, water, fire, wind and sky) that are
located in the Garden.
Originating from the Crowsnest Pass,
the rocks throughout the Garden play an important role. Each one, weighing
several tons, was carefully chosen, transported and then lifted into the garden
by crane. Water elements are also present through a musical waterfall, gurgling
stream, and reflective pond.
Even adjacent Henderson Lake Park has
been incorporated into the garden by providing the “shakkei” borrowed view
valued in Japanese garden philosophy.
Rollingson says visitors come from
all over the world and range from seniors on bus tours to local schoolchildren.
“Our role here is to provide a glimpse
of Japanese culture and interpret it for any one who visits here,” she says.
“Last year we had 2,200 children on organized school trips go through the
gate.”
Marketing Coordinator Chris Kapusta
says a full calendar of events and cultural activities are offered each weekend
from Mother’s Day in May to Thanksgiving Day in October and although the garden
closes during the winter, a Visitor Centre/Gift Shop is now open year round. It
features many unique items from Japan, as well as items created by local artisans.
Upcoming events include a Summer
Celebration that is planned for August 10. All day events will include Minyo
Dancers, Hibikiya Taiko Drummers, a traditional Tea Ceremony, an Iaido sword
demonstration, as well as Japanese karaoke and bonsai demonstrations.
Lighthouse Restaurant, which features Japanese cuisine, will be operating a
food tent on site and teas will be available to sample from local retailer
David’s Teas.
“Another special event this year is
Artists in the Garden on September 14,” says Kapusta. Local artists have been
invited to visit the garden throughout the season and create art representing
their interpretations. This art will be on display in the pavilion from
September 1 to 14 and then sold at an art auction on September 14. A portion of
the proceeds will go to Alberta flood relief charity.
In conjunction with this event, Young
Artists in the Garden is also being held to encourage local youth to create art
representing their views of the Garden. Sketching workshops are being held and
prizes will be awarded on September 7th for the three age categories of under 7
years, 8-11 years and 12-14 years. The art will then be on display and included
in the art auction on September 14.
Kapusta says while many out of town
visitors come to the Garden each year, local residents are offered the
advantage of buying a season pass which gives them unlimited visits to view the
Garden as it changes through the seasons. New exhibits are featured in the
pavilion each month and traditional Japanese flower arrangements (Ikebana) are
changed weekly.
Other special events include the
Japanese Tea Ceremony, Japanese storytelling, yoga in the Garden, moonlight
viewings, origami and paper lantern workshops, and a popular New Year’s Eve
event involving the ringing of the Friendship Bell 108 times to represent a
cleansing of mankind’s 108 vices.
Rollingson says besides the three
arborists, Nikka Yuko has a small staff comprised of hosts and hostesses,
maintenance, caretaking and administration. The Society has a local board of
governors.
“We also have a hundred highly
qualified volunteers,” she says. “We simply couldn’t run these events at the
Garden without them.”
A full listing of events and hours of
operation can be found on the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden website.
No comments:
Post a Comment