The Portland Japanese Garden

'A Tree in the Portland Japanese Garden' ~ Nikon D700, 24mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 9 exposure HDR

If I lived in Portland, Oregon I would without a doubt be a member of the Japanese Gardens. Since my home is on the east coast, I only managed to spend a few hours there, though I was lucky enough to have my photography gear with me.

The garden was designed by Professor Takuma Tono beginning in 1963, though the garden opened to the public in 1967.  The garden is a 5.5-acre haven of tranquil beauty nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland.  In a study conducted by the Journal of Japanese Gardening, it was ranked first out of 300 public Japanese gardens outside of Japan and considered to be one of the most authentic.