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Japanese Friendship Garden

The first time I went to the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, I was a tad disappointed that I could easily walk through the entire garden in five minutes. I’d been hoping for acres and acres of koi ponds and bamboo forests to get lost in.

This time, I approached it from a different, more contemplative angle. Rather than paying the $4 entrance fee and seeking a nice long walk, I went in seeking stillness. It was a warm, sunny Friday afternoon, and though the rest of the park was crowded with school groups and joggers, the garden was quiet. Even with two or three other guests wandering around the place at the same time, the garden had a serenity about it that called for whispering.

As I meandered slowly through the garden, I was pleased to see that down the hill, a major expansion has begun. Sometime in 2014, the Japanese Friendship Garden will expand from 2½ to 11 acres, which will include walking trails, a waterfall and lily pond, and an herb and tea garden. The entrance fee will expand as well, though the administration has not yet decided on a number.

After a brief stroll, I made my way into the Exhibit House, where a large glass wall looks out on a peaceful rock garden and invites quiet introspection. Currently on view in the Exhibit House is Beauty in the Obscure, a collection of paintings by Ben Aubert. After my 15 minutes of rock garden viewing, I allowed myself another 15 to contemplate which of the lovely paintings I would like to take home on my walls.

On March 17, the Japanese Friendship Garden will host the 7th annual Cherry Blossom Festival from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Free admission for children under 12 in the company of a paying adult.

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The first time I went to the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, I was a tad disappointed that I could easily walk through the entire garden in five minutes. I’d been hoping for acres and acres of koi ponds and bamboo forests to get lost in.

This time, I approached it from a different, more contemplative angle. Rather than paying the $4 entrance fee and seeking a nice long walk, I went in seeking stillness. It was a warm, sunny Friday afternoon, and though the rest of the park was crowded with school groups and joggers, the garden was quiet. Even with two or three other guests wandering around the place at the same time, the garden had a serenity about it that called for whispering.

As I meandered slowly through the garden, I was pleased to see that down the hill, a major expansion has begun. Sometime in 2014, the Japanese Friendship Garden will expand from 2½ to 11 acres, which will include walking trails, a waterfall and lily pond, and an herb and tea garden. The entrance fee will expand as well, though the administration has not yet decided on a number.

After a brief stroll, I made my way into the Exhibit House, where a large glass wall looks out on a peaceful rock garden and invites quiet introspection. Currently on view in the Exhibit House is Beauty in the Obscure, a collection of paintings by Ben Aubert. After my 15 minutes of rock garden viewing, I allowed myself another 15 to contemplate which of the lovely paintings I would like to take home on my walls.

On March 17, the Japanese Friendship Garden will host the 7th annual Cherry Blossom Festival from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Free admission for children under 12 in the company of a paying adult.

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Emi Meyer @ Balboa Theatre: Japanese Friendship Garden Benefit Oct. 15

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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