June 5 marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Seattle Japanese Garden. In Japan, the 60th year of life is called “kanreki” and a particularly meaningful part of the kanreki season is the launch of a partnership with the Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) Initiative.
The GLH is a nonprofit from Hiroshima that propagates seeds from trees that survived the atomic bombing. In January of this year, the Seattle Japanese Garden became the first partner in the Pacific Northwest to receive GLH seeds.
Seattle-based Consul General of Japan Yoichiro Yamada said, “It is inspiring to think about the resilience of the trees and the new life these seeds will bring.”
The Seattle Japanese Garden is one of the most celebrated Japanese gardens outside of Japan.