Japanese Garden Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for Ishigaki Wall Project

Guests at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ishigaki Wall project. (Photo by Holly Cuaresma)

BY RUMI TSUCHIHASHI

On June 15, 2026, the Seattle Japanese Garden held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ishigaki Wall and Accessible Pathway project, with 30 guests in attendance. This event marked the success of a $2.7 million fundraising campaign, which gained momentum in its final stretch and brought together friends of the Garden, old and new.

The seed for the project was planted in spring 1960, during the construction of the Garden itself. Juki Iida, the Garden’s principal designer, and Richard “Dick” Yamasaki, then the stonework contractor, made a time-and-budget concession for the stone wall at the north end, so the Garden could open on schedule to the public by June 1. Instead of using granite—in alignment with the material palette of the larger Garden—they built it using less durable basalt.

Mr. Yamasaki, who went on to tend the Garden for over three decades, continually expressed his wish for his mentor, Mr. Iida’s vision of a proper stone wall—and a viewing pavilion atop it—to be realized someday.

Guests with ceremonial shovels at the groundbreaking. (Photo by Holly Cuaresma)

The campaign to construct an Ishigaki wall with Mr. Suminori Awata, a fifteenth-generation stonemason in the Anoshu tradition of Japan, began in 2022 with the help of major gifts from longtime supporters of Seattle Japanese Garden.

By then, Mr. Awata had worked with American stonemasons at Kubota Garden and Portland Japanese Garden. He dazzled all who watched his process of “listening to stones,” an oral tradition he inherited that helps him know precisely which stones belong together.

A cross-organization planning team from Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Arboretum Foundation, Berger Partnership, Hoshide Wanzer Architects, and Green Man Builders considered multiple iterations of the design and construction phasing. From securing permits to managing rising costs and raising funds—and prioritizing accessibility as plans evolved—much had to be considered, then reconsidered.

“It’s a complex and nuanced project,” said Elizabeth Lunney, strategic advisor at the Arboretum Foundation and a member of the project committee.

Seattle Botanic Gardens CEO Christina Owen (second from right) with Arboretum Foundation board members (left to right) Thatcher Bailey, Maribeth O’Connor, and Peter Rees. (Photo by Holly Cuaresma)

Finally, in December 2025, it appeared that the work could begin in mid-2026 if funds could be raised by spring. At the time, the funding gap was just under $1 million.

After grant awards from The Norcliffe Foundation and Aldarra Foundation brought the fundraising goal to within reach, donors Peggy and Steve Garber pledged a challenge gift of $200,000 to the Ishigaki Wall and Accessible Pathway if groundbreaking commenced by summer of 2026.

The news of this pledge sparked immediate momentum. Within three months, more than 30 individual donors stepped forward to support the project, and in May, The Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation made a gift that unlocked the Garbers’ challenge fund.

A century‑old black pine next to the old wall—donated by Dick Yamasaki—will be carefully incorporated the new stone wall, linking the Garden’s past to its renewed shoreline. (Photo by Holly Cuaresma)

The removal work will take place from June 23 to July 27, during which time the Garden will be closed to the public for safety reasons. In August, when the Garden reopens, Mr. Awata will arrive in Seattle, joining a team of American stonemasons to commence the Ishigaki build. Opportunities to view the work in progress will be shared on the Garden’s project page as they become available.

While the usual tranquility of the Garden will be altered during the remaining months of 2026, the experience of walking through it will be inspiring—a reminder to slow down and appreciate the skill, precision, and intentionality behind stewarding the Garden.

“This moment is both an end and a beginning,” said Christina Owen, CEO of Seattle Botanic Gardens, during a toast at the groundbreaking ceremony. When the existing stone wall is removed, a piece of Mr. Yamasaki’s legacy will come down with it. But thanks to the community that supported the planning and fundraising, a part of his and Mr. Iida’s unrealized vision will come to life in its place.

In time, the Ishigaki Wall and Accessible Pathway will welcome visitors more fully into this corner of the Garden, honoring the past while opening the way for many more to experience its beauty.

Rumi Tsuchihashi is the Major Gifts Officer at the Arboretum Foundation.