In Palm Beach’s Delray neighborhood, you can find one of Miami’s coolest hidden wonders: Morikami Japanese Gardens. At its most basic, this serene park offers an escape from the hectic hustle of Miami. But when you take a closer look, Morikami Japanese Gardens is just as fascinating as it is visually stunning.
So what is this Japanese oasis doing in Miami? It’s kind of a long story. Technically speaking, the gardens are the last remnant of a failed Japanese farming colony. But it’s a lot more than a vestige of the past. Today, the gardens are home to festivities like Japanese New Year celebrations (aka oshogatsu) and world-class bonsai and rock gardens, which draw visitors from around the world.
Never heard of Morikami Japanese Gardens? You’re not alone. Over the last few years, it’s started to gain attention beyond Miami’s borders. Here’s why it’s captured my attention and why I think it’s worth visiting for anyone in Miami.
Japanese farming colonies… in Florida?
If you’re a history nerd like me, you’re probably wondering how a Japanese farming colony ended up in Florida. As I mentioned, it’s a long story—let me give you the short of it.
Back in 1903, the founder of Standard Oil, Henry Flagler, got a hankering to sell off a large portion of his land in Florida. But he wanted to focus his search on buyers with big entrepreneurial plans. Enter Jo Sakai, a Japanese graduate of NYU with a bit of money burning a hole in his pocket. (And big business dreams, of course.)
Flagler and Sakai met. Intrigued by his character, Flagler sold Sakai one thousand acres near Miami. Sakai soon began finalizing his grand plan: to grow pineapples on the land he bought from Flagler and sell them for a small fortune.
Yamato Colony’s short run
To do this, Sakai decided to call on laborers from his hometown in Miyazu, Japan. These workers made the long trip to Florida in the early 1900s; some brought their families, while others arrived as lone indentured servants. Within a few years, Sakai’s newly minted Yamato Colony was up and running.
And within a few more, crop failure began. By 1908, these issues threatened the entire business project. After WWII, Sakai sold the land to the US Army Air Corps. Most families headed back to Japan, while others sought work in other parts of the US.
But one man refused to leave: George Morikami, one of Yamato Colony’s indentured servants. He took his earnings and bought 200 acres of farmland in Palm Beach Country. Morikami lived until 1976 on this land, which he began converting into the Morikami Japanese Gardens.
Upon his death, he donated his land to Palm Beach County, which launched a commission to finish the gardens. Today, Delray Beach is the sister city of Kyoto’s Miyazu in honor of Morikami and his gardens.
Why Morikami Japanese Gardens is on my itinerary
I love a tangled historical tale—and there’s nothing quite like Morikami’s. He came to the US as an indentured worker with the hopes of getting rich on pineapples. But when his sponsor died, Morikami was marooned in Florida, far from his family.
But walking around the grounds of the Morikami Japanese Gardens today, you wouldn’t associate it with any type of hardship.
Instead, the space exudes a sense of peace. There are two museums where you can explore the area’s history, but it’s the gardens that have caught my attention. The Roji-en Japanese Gardens include sections that explore the six primary stages of Japanese history over a mile-long path.
As you explore these six sections, you’ll learn about things like aristocratic Chinese garden design, Buddhist teachings, rock art, something called a ‘borrowed landscape’ or shakkei, and the Edo period. There are other odes to Japanese culture, too, including Shinto shrines, bonsai, and rings of wisdom.
If that doesn’t sell you on the experience, then maybe this will: in 2024, the gardens were ranked as the eighth-best public Japanese Garden in the US by the Journal of Japanese Gardening.
Usually, multicultural influence in Miami focuses on Latinx influence from the Caribbean, Latin America, and South America. This is decidedly different from anything I’ve found in the city. Who knew a slice of Japanese culture could be found so close to Miami?
How to get to Morikami Japanese Gardens & when to go
The Morikami Gardens are open to the public every day of the week aside from Mondays. However, you must pay to enter the museums, while the attached Cornell Café is only open to garden members. It usually takes around three hours to see everything the park has to offer.
If you’re looking for peace and quiet, head to Morikami Japanese Gardens during a weekday. You won’t find many others there. Or, if you really want to soak up the culture, then consider heading there for a major holiday like oshogatsu. Japanese New Year (also celebrated on January 1) sees the park decked out with beautiful displays and activities.
But keep in mind that this location isn’t easy to get to without a car. A ride share from Miami will cost well over $100 and will take about an hour. Taking the bus and train is far more affordable, but takes up to four hours for you to reach the gardens. For this reason, I recommend you take a ride share with a few friends to minimize on transportation costs.