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A Touch of Japan: The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
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22456 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
8 / 2002 |
1,655 Words |
| Author
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Molly Arost Staub
Molly Arost Staub, currently based in Boynton Beach, Florida,
writes on the arts and travel. |
In 1974, wealthy planter George Morikami donated land in Delray Beach, Florida, to promote cultural understanding. Today, magnificent Japanese-style architecture and landscaping fulfill this noble purpose.
A sea of tranquillity awaits just seven miles from the ocean in Delray Beach, Florida. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens provides a 200-acre Japanese oasis encircled by Spanish-influenced houses and shops. This cultural anomaly sprouted from a historical development. Back in 1905, Jo Sabai, a New York University graduate, organized a group in his Japanese hometown that established the Yamato Colony, an agricultural community that grew pineapples in Boca Raton and Delray Beach. The pineapples didn't thrive, though, and most of the settlers departed by the 1920s.
George Sukeji Morikami remained, planting hardier crops and prospering as a vegetable wholesaler who amassed 1,000 acres of land. In 1974, he donated land to Palm Beach County to honor the colony and promote cultural understanding.
The original museum and gardens opened in 1977, with county funds playing a large part. "Palm Beach County was the largest source of funds, supplemented with private donations," says
Larry Rosenzweig, museum director. "Designed by architect John Baccari, it was loosely modeled on the Katsura Villa in Kyoto, Japan, and built to represent something Japanese-looking," he notes.
That rectangular building--called the Yamato-kan--is covered with white stucco and sliding,
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