For our 2007 Conference GCLHS joins with the Japanese American National Museum www.janm.org, The Garden Conservancy www.gardenconservancy.org, and the Los Angeles Conservancy www.laconservancy.org to host a three-day event featuring an exhibit, lectures, tours, and receptions.

The registration deadline is September 7, 2007. 

Exotic portions of great estates, commercial teahouse gardens, modest bungalow gardens, and public sister city or friendship gardens—for more than a century the lure of Japan has inspired a category of gardens that will be the subject of the California Garden and Landscape History Society’s conference and annual meeting.  Through talks, an exhibition visit, and garden tours, the conference will focus not only on the Japanese-style garden in California but on the Japanese Americans who designed, constructed, and maintained them.

Little Tokyo, long-time heart of the Los Angeles Japanese American community, is the site of the conference, which begins Friday evening at the Japanese American National Museum with a reception and private viewing of the multimedia exhibition, Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden.  (On Friday there is also an option to visit two important, public Japanese-style gardens.)  Saturday’s schedule includes experts who will speak about the history, design, and maintenance of Japanese-style gardens.  A walking tour of the Little Tokyo National Historic Landmark District and an evening reception at the New Otani Hotel’s “Garden in the Sky” (based on a 16th century Japanese stroll garden) conclude the day.  An optional dinner will be enlivened by Naomi Hirahara, who will entertain us with a reading from her mystery series featuring Los Angeles gardener Mas Arai.  On Sunday we will tour a variety of Japanese-style gardens in the Los Angeles area and attend a closing reception in a private garden.

For more specific information or to volunteer to assist with the conference please e-mail conference@cglhs.org or phone (323) 462-2443.