Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum

Enjoy the beauty and tranquility of a Japanese garden in San Diego’s historical Balboa Park. Here, you will find aesthetically pleasing features such as a zen rock garden, koi pond, traditional Japanese art, water features as well as special events held throughout the year. Download a visitor’s guide here.

The Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum (JFGM) is named San Kei En (three scene garden – water, pastoral, and mountain) which expresses the ties between the people of San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama. JFG blends the two cultures to create a unique and immersive experience that anyone will enjoy. JFG represents a new stage in the development of the Japanese garden outside of Japan. The design of the San-Kei-En is guided by the original principles of the Japanese garden (people, natural environment, and culture) while incorporating the local regional landscape and climate.

The life of JFGM continues to blossom and is committed to upholding its mission of educating, engaging, and inspiring present and future generations of diverse backgrounds about Japanese culture and community legacy.