Embedded Files
Jenna Smith and Kristan Reynolds26 April, 2024
"I am 80 years old and yet I plant trees. People may laugh at my foolishness. Although I might be foolish, this is my life’s desire, my dream. If I can plant something today, I will have no regrets if I die tomorrow."
"I am 80 years old and yet I plant trees. People may laugh at my foolishness. Although I might be foolish, this is my life’s desire, my dream. If I can plant something today, I will have no regrets if I die tomorrow."
-George Morikami
-George Morikami
The preservation of Japanese culture in Palm Beach County: Morikami Museum and Gardens
The preservation of Japanese culture in Palm Beach County: Morikami Museum and Gardens
Experiencing and appreciating various cultures through travel can be difficult when downtime is limited and financial contribution is significant. Some Americans never get the chance to travel abroad, but for Floridans, location-based cultural education is available and affordable. Pieces of Japan like bamboo forests, waterfalls and Buddha figures of stone are used to immerse South Floridians in Japanese heritage.
“Travel to Japan no passport required,” says Heather Grzybek, garden curator at Morikami Museum and Gardens. Local to Delray Beach, Florida, the facility shares the history of the Yamato Colony, George Morikami’s legacy and Japanese culture as a whole.
Morikami Museum officially opened in 1977; however, the gardens were not completed until 2001, according to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens website. These gardens are unique to the area as they aim to share a vision built for the future, while, according to Grzybek, most American botanical gardens are mere collections of plant material. The museum provides the history of a Japanese farming colony, called the Yamato Colony, that used to be in Boca Raton.
“Japanese gardens are very different from traditional western style gardens, " said Grzybek. “[A] Japanese garden is mostly a restorative experience, a spiritual experience.”
“Travel to Japan no passport required,” says Heather Grzybek, garden curator at Morikami Museum and Gardens. Local to Delray Beach, Florida, the facility shares the history of the Yamato Colony, George Morikami’s legacy and Japanese culture as a whole.
Morikami Museum officially opened in 1977; however, the gardens were not completed until 2001, according to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens website. These gardens are unique to the area as they aim to share a vision built for the future, while, according to Grzybek, most American botanical gardens are mere collections of plant material. The museum provides the history of a Japanese farming colony, called the Yamato Colony, that used to be in Boca Raton.
“Japanese gardens are very different from traditional western style gardens, " said Grzybek. “[A] Japanese garden is mostly a restorative experience, a spiritual experience.”
Morikami Museum and Gardens Visitor's Center courtyard pictured on a rainy afternoon on Sept. 2, 2023.
For local college students, the gardens and museum provide an outlet to relieve stress and explore an otherworldly atmosphere while expanding their cultural knowledge.
“I love the scenery with the trees and flowers everywhere, the buildings are beautiful as well,” said Jade Thomas, a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University who visits Morikami regularly—especially in the spring.
“I love the scenery with the trees and flowers everywhere, the buildings are beautiful as well,” said Jade Thomas, a sophomore at Florida Atlantic University who visits Morikami regularly—especially in the spring.
A Cherry blossom tree blooms at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens on April 14, 2024.
Patrick Callaway, an FAU junior and frequent visitor of Morikami says “it’s like Japan in Florida and as soon as you are there it’s like you’re in a different country.”
While the gardens display different garden designs of historical periods in Japan through outdoor exhibitions, the museum immerses visitors in a replica of a 17th century imperial villa from Kyoto, Japan, featuring rotating Japanese art displays.
“It's got a central courtyard with the raked stones and the rain chains—[It] all gives you a very zen feeling,” said Sandhya Joshi, a volunteer at Morikami.
The museum also dives into the history of the Yamato Colony and George Morikami with videos, interactive tablets and wall displays of photos and accounts of the historical figures involved in the colony.
“This building hosts two short films, one of them talks about the design of the gardens and the other one is a slightly longer film that talks about the Yamato Colony and the life of the immigrants who came here in the early 1900s,” said Joshi.
While the gardens display different garden designs of historical periods in Japan through outdoor exhibitions, the museum immerses visitors in a replica of a 17th century imperial villa from Kyoto, Japan, featuring rotating Japanese art displays.
“It's got a central courtyard with the raked stones and the rain chains—[It] all gives you a very zen feeling,” said Sandhya Joshi, a volunteer at Morikami.
The museum also dives into the history of the Yamato Colony and George Morikami with videos, interactive tablets and wall displays of photos and accounts of the historical figures involved in the colony.
“This building hosts two short films, one of them talks about the design of the gardens and the other one is a slightly longer film that talks about the Yamato Colony and the life of the immigrants who came here in the early 1900s,” said Joshi.
In the summer of 1905, Jo Sakai and about 15 other Japanese men established the Yamato Colony: a 40-acre experimental farming colony located along present-day Yamato Road in Boca Raton, according to the Boca Raton Historical Society.
The historical society says that the colony prospered for several years, producing pineapples and vegetables like cucumber and peppers; however, the colony dispersed over time due to social and economic changes in the United States.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Sukeji Morikami—better known as George Morikami—from Miyazu Japan decided to stay in South Florida, according to the Morikami Museum Website.
Morikami moved north of the location of the original Yamato colony into Delray Beach, where he purchased property and began farming and gardening.
Eventually, Morikami achieved millionaire status, but continued to live humbly as a gardener, according to the museum website.
“I am 80 years old and yet I plant trees. People may laugh at my foolishness. Although I might be foolish, this is my life’s desire, my dream. If I can plant something today, I will have no regrets if I die tomorrow,” said Morikami in a letter to his niece.
In 1974 Morikami “generously” donated his property of around 200 acres of land to Palm Beach County, says the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens informational website. The land now hosts the Roji-en gardens and the museum.
In 1974 Morikami “generously” donated his property of around 200 acres of land to Palm Beach County, says the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens informational website. The land now hosts the Roji-en gardens and the museum.
A waterfall flows into a pond at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens on Sept. 2, 2023.
Today, the Morikami Museum often hosts events for cultural education, typically presenting traditional Japanese arts and practices like the Japanese tea ceremony and Taiko—which is a traditional Japanese drumming technique.
On February 24, 2024, the museum hosted its yearly Kimono Culture Demonstration. During the demonstration, a kimono professional presented the different types of kimonos on various models and explained how there are different types of kimonos for different seasons and events.
On February 24, 2024, the museum hosted its yearly Kimono Culture Demonstration. During the demonstration, a kimono professional presented the different types of kimonos on various models and explained how there are different types of kimonos for different seasons and events.
An example of traditional sandals, typically worn with the Japanese kimono, and their size differences on display at a kimono demonstration hosted at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens on Feb. 24, 2024
Traditional Japanese garments and accessories on display at a kimono demonstration hosted at Morikami Museum and Gardens on Feb. 24, 2024.
While the Yamato colony itself ended in the 1940s, Morikami Museum strives to keep the colony’s legacy alive and to educate South Florida residents on the rich Japanese culture that once resided in Boca Raton and Delray Beach.
"Morikami's message is important because every culture is unique in certain ways," said Thomas. "Learning about new cultures can bring people together."
"Morikami's message is important because every culture is unique in certain ways," said Thomas. "Learning about new cultures can bring people together."
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