Beyond Wild Expectations: Michigan’s Very Own Slice of Japan – Where Ancient Garden Design Provides a Deep Connection to Nature

Meijer Japanese Garden from above. Amazing fall color with a twisting path that goes out onto a pond.

Few places bring horticulture and art together quite like the cultural hub of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Great Rapids, Michigan. Here, a sublime Japanese garden waits to enlighten with design delights that don't just deliver on the aesthetics – they transform one's perception of the world around us.

Spanning eight acres, Meijer's Japanese garden is home to a fascinating collection of Japanese native flora, encompassing meandering paths that twist and turn around a large pond central to the design. But it is so much more than a beautiful garden. For designer Hoichi Kurisu, The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden is a chance to immerse visitors in practices deeply rooted in Japanese garden culture, unlocking the symbiotic relationship between humanity and the natural world.