Where Cultures Meet in Nature

Where Culture Meet in Nature: The Story of Japanese Gardens in the West

REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE

Why have Japanese gardens captured the imagination of Western audiences for centuries? Why is our present moment a pivotal juncture in the story of the growth and evolution of Japanese gardens?

Join Professor Kendall Brown (California State University Long Beach) and Garden Curator Hugo Torii for a conversation about the forces that have shaped the story of Japanese gardens from their origins in Japan to their present popularity in diverse communities around the world. This timely webinar, presented in the final months of our current exhibition Designing Nature: Elements of Harmony, will offer a deeper look at the point where the exhibition leaves off, continuing the fascinating story of Japanese garden design evolution with the globalization of Japanese gardens through the World Fairs, the migration of Japanese horticulturalists to America, and taking a look at where we find ourselves in the present during an exciting moment in Garden design history. As Portland Japanese Garden enters 2026 and the 63^rd anniversary of its founding, this history is interwoven with the fabric of the Garden and momentous developments to come as we continue to inspire harmony and peace.

For long-time garden enthusiasts as well as those curious to take the first step down this fascinating and unfolding story, don’t miss this conversation between garden experts at the intersection of nature, culture, and art.

Speakers

Professor Kendall Brown

Kendall Brown is Emeritus Professor of Asian Art History at California State University Long Beach. A Japanese art historian, he publishes actively in several areas of Japanese art. He has also organized exhibitions for several American museums on topics from modern woodblock prints to Art Deco.  Most recent was “Songs for Modern Japan” on sheet music cover illustration, for the MFA Boston in 2024. As a garden historian, he pioneered the study of Japanese gardens in North America, publishing books and academic articles on the subject as well as co-founding the North American Japanese Garden Association.

Hugo Torii

Hugo Torii is the Garden Curator at Portland Japanese Garden, making him the 10th to take on this critical role since the Garden opened in 1967. As Garden Curator, Torii helps to keep Portland Japanese Garden true to its original intent and design, while also allowing it to grow and evolve. Torii oversees a team of gardeners and is actively involved in the process of all Garden maintenance, keeping in mind the short term needs as well as longer term implications.

Moderator

Aki Nakanishi

Aki Nakanishi is an international cultural leader with nearly three decades of experience in government relations, cultural programming, and artistic exchange. He currently serves as Director of Japan Institute and the Arlene Schnitzer Curator of Culture, Art, and Education, where he guides the organization’s cultural vision, global partnerships, and multidisciplinary initiatives.

In his current capacity at the Garden, Nakanishi has led more than one thousand programmatic initiatives that advanced the organization’s stature as a leading force in cultural diplomacy. These initiatives encompassed art exhibitions, seasonal festivals, cultural demonstrations, workshops, seminars, lectures, concerts, international conferences, and culinary programs. Through a strategic approach that bridged local and international engagement, he strengthened the Garden’s network of partners and supporters across Japan and the United States, helping to elevate Portland’s profile on both sides of the Pacific, a city he and his family now proudly call home.

Nakanishi holds a master’s degree in Cultural Policy from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Japan) and is a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge (UK), where he conducts research into medieval Japanese cultural networks.

Thank you to the generous sponsors of this event, The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Toshiba International Foundation, and North American Japanese Garden Association.