Japanese Garden

The impressive Japanese Garden is a wonderful sanctuary, nestled quietly within the Mt Coot-Tha Botanic Gardens in Toowong.

Originally designed by the distinguished 20th century Japanese landscape artist, Kenzo Ogata to be on display in the Japanese Pavilion at Expo ’88 at South Bank, the garden was gifted to Brisbane and relocated to where it is now, opening in February of the following year.

Ogata’s garden theme is ‘tsuki-yama-chisen’, or ‘mountain-pond-stream, and you will find all of these elements in this calming setting.

Stone paths gracefully wind around the waterlily-filled pond, and a cascading waterfall feeds the stream, the sound filling the air with a beautiful distraction. The crossing of the stream is on well-placed stepping stones, and is a delight for children and adults to easily attempt.

There are two open air pavilions to sit in and enjoy some quiet contemplation, and you will often see numerous water dragons taking the time to chill out here as well. In fact, keep your eye out on the paths, on the grass, and on the rocks within the pond to catch a glimpse of the statuesque creatures sunning themselves in all their glory.

It is not hard to spend hours within the peaceful bamboo walls, so understandably, the Japanese Garden makes for the perfect spot to relax in a state of zen.

A short stroll beyond the gardens will take you to the Bonsai House, which is well-worth a visit.

Nice to know – If you’re visiting the gardens during the week and the main gates are open, vehicular access is allowed, with a small number of carparks adjacent to the Japanese Gardens. If you’re on foot, there is map near the pedestrian entrances and all areas are well sign-posted.

All carparking at Mt Coot-Tha Botanic Gardens is free. 

Images by Danella Perrins

If you'd like to visit more Japanese gardens, check out our guide to Japanese Gardens in SEQ.