City of Olympia, WA

04/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/03/2026 17:03

04/03/2026 - Olympia’s Japanese Garden Relocation

Olympia's Japanese Garden Relocation

With the sale of the Justice Center site to the Squaxin Island Tribe, the City of Olympia is planning to relocate the Yashiro Japanese Garden to a new public location. The current site at 1010 Plum Street SE will close June 1, 2026.

When feasible, later this year, key features, including stone sculptures and select plantings, will be preserved for incorporation into a future garden. The City's priority is to carry forward the garden's legacy as a symbol of friendship between Olympia and Kato (formerly Yashiro), Japan.

A new location has not yet been selected, but the City remains committed to honoring the Sister City relationship throughout this transition. In coordination with our Sister City and Olympia's Japanese community, the City is exploring opportunities to deepen cultural connections while preparing for the future garden. A landscape designer will be selected through a competitive process, with priority given to expertise in authentic Japanese garden design and will help guide a public process to determine the new location and design.

The relocation also creates an opportunity to reconsider how the garden can integrate with the surrounding community, use plants compatible with landscape conditions, and reflect today's cultural ties to Japan and the local Japanese American community.

We appreciate your patience and support as this work moves forward.

For more information on the future garden relocation, visit the Yashiro Japanese Garden webpage and sign up for Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation's E-News at olympiawa.gov/subscribe.
Contact
Laura Keehan, Director of Parks Planning & Maintenance
Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation
360.570.5855
[email protected]
City of Olympia, WA published this content on April 03, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 03, 2026 at 23:03 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]