Yume Japanese Gardens is the living expression of an ancient Japanese heritage. Covering three quarters of an acre in Tucson, Arizona, it comprises five traditional visions of landscape. In each, nature is balanced by the human hand to render the serene elegance and subtle spirit of an authentic Japanese garden.

On Monday I posted a story that a lovely, new Japanese garden is to open to the public this coming Saturday, January 19, at 9:30 a.m. Click here for previous article. This garden is the first Japanese garden in Tucson, and will become a new tourist attraction for Tucson.

On January 15 I was one of the lucky few invited to the V.I.P/media grand opening at the Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way, due south of the Tucson Botanical Gardens. At the opening there was a blessing by a Zen Buddhist priestess, taiko drumming by Odaiko Sonora, a tea ceremony, platters of sushi & souvenir cedar cups of sake (Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice). There were even bonsai on display and a young golden koi named “Yume” was released into the koi pond.

The priestess Daien Bennape said that founder/executive director Patricia Deridder created these gardens out of her “love of beauty, nature, the invisible and visible worlds”. The garden name is “yume” meaning dream in Japanese, since it was obviously the dream/vision of Patricia’s to create this oasis in the desert. I saw this dirt lot in midtown that Patricia purchased a few years ago amazingly transform into a lovely, tranquil place of beauty.

Yume is Tucson’s “first and only public, non-profit Japanese Garden and is designed according to Japanese landscaping traditions”. Patricia Deridder lived in Japan for 15 years and became inspired to build such a lovely garden here in Tucson. Membership levels are available on their website (www.tucsonjapanesegardens.com) for those of you who want to visit more often. All photos were taken by me at the grand opening of some of the various smaller gardens & features at this attraction.

Japanese tea ceremony, with Fukumi Zapp and Saburo Sakai

Taiko drumming by Odaiko Sonora with Karen Falkenstrom and Marnie Sharp

Yume Japanese Gardens are indeed lovely yet tranquil, a true gem for visitors to enjoy nature, to reflect upon Life, and admire Japanese landscape beauty. The parting shot I took was this unique ikebana arrangement at the tea house, with its fleeting shadow.