Gardening Stories: Japanese American internment gardens
22 October - 10 mins
Podcast Series
The Pat Kenny Show
For Japanese Americans, gardening had long been part of daily life and cultural identity. Traditional Japanese gardens are rooted in ideas of harmony, balance, and respect for nature. They emphasise simplicity, asymmetry, and the careful arrangement of natural elements such as stones, water, and plants.
Even before the war, many Japanese immigrants had worked as gardeners and landscapers across California and the Pacific coast. When they were sent to the camps, they brought that knowledge with them. Gardens in the camps served cultural and health purposes, acted as a buffer against psychological trauma, and represented an attempt to re-create community in these harsh new environments.
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