Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Waterfront Botanical Garden’s Japanese Garden in Louisville, Kentucky

On Thursday, September 29th, 2022, the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Waterfront Botanical Garden’s Japanese Garden was held in Louisville, Kentucky. A number of VIPs, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Deputy Consul-General Masahiko Mitsumoto from our Consulate, Kentucky Agricultural Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher, the world renowned landscape artist Mr. Shiro Nakane, who will be designing the garden, and the President of the Japan/America Society of Kentucky David Carpenter, were in attendance to name a few. The ceremony began with some of the guests giving remarks about the importance of the gardens and what they would mean to the Japan-Kentucky friendship. To close, Deputy Consul-General Mitsumoto and the other VIPs put on their hard hats and officially broke ground on the project.

The Garden is expected to take two years to complete and will cover two acres. It will feature a bonsai garden, a traditional teahouse, a 19-foot (5.7 meter) water fall, cherry blossom trees, and many other unique features.