In a residential neighborhood of Pasadena, a hidden two-acre landscape spends most of the week in complete stillness. When Friday evening arrives, the property opens for a brief window of public access that lasts through Sunday. This weekend-only retreat is the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden.
History and origin of the garden
The garden was created between 1935 and 1940. Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns commissioned Japanese immigrant and landscape designer Kinzuchi Fujii to transform their estate’s tennis courts into a traditional landscape. Fujii spent a year planning the space and four years constructing it using manual labor.
The landscape is constructed using many tons of boulders and stones to create a varied, naturalistic terrain. The design features several specific earthworks and water elements:
- Two Koi Ponds: Two large, interconnected, and irregularly shaped koi ponds form the central focus of the garden layout.
- Two Waterfalls: Visitors can hear the sounds of two separate waterfalls on the property, including one that cascades down a 25-foot hill.
- Dry Riverbed: An artful dry riverbed winds through the grounds, designed specifically to manage rain overflow.
Architectural highlights of the garden
A circular walking path guides visitors past original and accurately reconstructed architectural features.
- The Niko-an Teahouse: This authentic twelve-tatami-mat teahouse is the highlight of the garden. The original structure was built in Japan to Kinzuchi Fujii’s exacting specifications, then disassembled and shipped to Los Angeles for reassembly. Though the original structure burned down in 1981, it has been fully rebuilt using the original architectural plans photographs.
- Bridges and Benches: The property features four original bridges that cross the water features, alongside the original cedar log Japanese Waiting Bench.
📍270 Arlington Drive. Pasadena, California 91105
