Japanese Friendship Garden

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Dining

Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen
La Victoria Taqueria
Original Joe’s
Habana Cuba Restaurant
Henry’s Hi-Life
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Lodging

Best Western Lanai Garden Inn
San Jose Marriott
The Westin San Jose
AC Hotel by Marriott San Jose
Hyatt Place San Jose
Four Points Sheraton San Jose

Dining

Cali Spartan Mexican Kitchen
La Victoria Taqueria
Original Joe’s
Habana Cuba Restaurant
Henry’s Hi-Life
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Lodging

Best Western Lanai Garden Inn
San Jose Marriott
The Westin San Jose
AC Hotel by Marriott San Jose
Hyatt Place San Jose
Four Points Sheraton San Jose

Authors Comments:

As with all Japanese gardens, this is a place of peace and tranquility. When you enter the Japanese Friendship Garden, please be soft spoken and respectful of your surroundings. No running, no screaming. It is not a playground. This is a beautiful garden and is located at Kelly Park, 1300 Senter Road, also the home of Happy Hollow.

The Japanese Friendship Garden has a small grove of cherry trees that blooms in the spring as well as many pine trees and Japanese maple trees. There is a 450-year-old granite lantern, a five-level pagoda, and other rock symbolic sculptures scattered around the three lakes.

You can feed the beautiful Koi fish from the food vending machines. Koi fish are unique in their color, and they have the rare ability to hear with their whole body. At the moon bridge, it is considered good luck to see your reflection in the moonlight.

And the zig-zag bridge is built that way to keep spirits from crossing, as spirits can only travel in a straight line. I knew that. Free admission except for $6 parking. No pets and no picnics inside the garden.