Seattle Japanese Garden will celebrate First Viewing, a reopening event welcoming the general public inside the gates for the 2016 season, on Sunday, March 6.
First Viewing begins with a Shinto blessing, a formal ceremony that has been conducted in Japan since ancient times, at 11 a.m. The blessing, conducted by the Rev. Koichi Barrish of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Granite Falls, Wash., will usher in auspicious ki (life energy) for a successful new year.
The ceremony will also include a rededication of the original sign that hung at the garden in 1960, when the garden first opened to the public. The Yorozu family, whose family landscaping company was among the group of partners who collaborated to bring the garden to its inception, will be honored.
Trained guides will be available to give complimentary tours of the Seattle Japanese Garden, sharing insights on the garden’s history, design and spiritual principles. The 45-minute tours begin at the ticket booth starting at 12:30 and 2 p.m.
The Tateuchi Community Room will also open its doors to the public, offering cups of tea while showing an exhibit of archival photos depicting the Japanese Garden’s 55-year history.
Regular admission applies; for more information, visit seattlejapanesegarden.org.