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Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Can I pre-purchase tickets before I visit?

 

Yes, you certainly can! Just click below and follow the steps to pre-purchase tickets.

Or you can purchase tickets on arrival.

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Adults $20

Concession $15

Family $50.00

Local $15 (must show proof)

Children $10 (Under 18)

Children Under 5 FREE

Students $15

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Can we bring our dog to the garden?

You are welcome to bring your dog, however they must be on a lead at all times and droppings MUST BE PICKED UP! Dogs are allowed in outside area of the Cafe, however they are not permitted in the Cultural Centre. 

​How long does it take to walk around the Garden?
We recommend 45 minutes to an hour to walk around the garden, however you can do a quick walk around in 30 minutes or you can take all day. You can also bring a picnic or get takeaway from the Cafe and enjoy under the shade of one of our beautiful trees
FUN FACT ~  The paths in total are 2.4 kilometers and have natural curvature ~ spirits don't walk on crooked paths!

* Cowra Japanese Garden is the largest Japanese garden in the Southern Hemisphere!

When is the best time to visit the garden?

 

Any time of year is a good time to visit the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre. Japanese gardens are created with imagination and designed to display nature’s beauty in all seasons.

Spring is the time for fresh greenery and subtle blossoms. Cherry blossoms appear in late September/Early October, while late spring flowers include azalea, camellia, and wisteria.

Summer’s sunlit shades of green yield an unbroken, calming visual experience.

The vibrant colors of autumn are a popular visiting time. Autumn is a celebration of nature’s gift of life in the past year, and a transition to the peacefulness of winter.

Winter reveals the pure essence of the garden, when all has been stripped away to expose its fundamental structure, spirit, and quiet beauty.

When do the Cherry Blossoms Flower?

The Cherry Blossoms flower in September - Normally around the middle to end of September depending on the season. Our garden is usually in full blood at the end of September early October. We hold our annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) on the last weekend of September. 

FUN FACT - The weeping cherries on the left as you enter the garden are 12 years old, and the Fuji cherry tree on the right is approximately 40 years old.  

Do we hire Golf Buggies, Scooters or Wheelchairs

Unfortunately we no longer hire Golf Buggies, however we are in the process of introducing a mobility scooter. We will update once finalised. We do have available one wheelchair. 

How many Gardeners are there?

It's hard to believe that we only have 4 full time gardeners and one part time cleaner/gardener! 

We also have 1 voluntary gardener

What type of grass is in the garden?

The grass in the garden is Kikuyu (Cenchrus Clandestinus) and is oversewn with cool season varieties

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FUN FACTS

*1 cycle of mowing takes approximately 15 hours and during the growing months the garden can be mown twice a week. 

* Whipper snipping of the paths and garden takes 18 hours a week.

*The hedges are pruned and shaped to represent the rolling hills of Japan. The landscape design includes trimmed hedges and pine trees which are symbolic of the hills, reaching from the mountains to the ocean.

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Is the garden watered and where does the water come from?

The garden is watered all year round and the water is provided by Cowra Shire Council's Raw Water provided from the Lachlan River.

 

FUN FACTS

* We have 4 x 11 kilowatt pumps that pump 40 litres per second

* Irrigation has two separate systems running two separate pump sites - 1 runs watering and 1 runs the waterfalls

(bottom lake has irrigation pump and waterfall pump ~ same applies to top lake)

*Lakes run through business hours and garden is irrigated after hours

Why was the site chosen to build the garden?

 

As the geographical formation of the terrain and the rocks made it ideal to replicate the landscape of Japan, in particular the existence of two rocks at the top of the hill, these large rocks are called Yogoseike and Shugoseike.

FUN FACT ~ The stones are a hero of the garden and the garden was built around the stones

Who designed the garden?

 

In 1977 world renowned architect Ken Nakajima was commissioned to design the garden. Mr. Nakajima was selected because of his work throughout the world designing Japanese gardens in Montreal, San Diego, Moscow and Houston. His company Consolidated Garden Research Inc. of Japan had a reputation second to none in all corners of the globe.

 

The design of the garden is a copy of the first Japanese landscape garden (Strolling garden) built by the first Shogun Tokugawa in the 16th century A.D, the Edo period of Japan in what is now called Tokyo (Edo)

FUN FACT ~ Cowra Japanese Garden was Ken Nakajima's favorite garden, so much so he had his ashes scattered in the garden.

*The front of the garden is designed more like city gardens and then the higher you go the more the garden looks like you're heading up to the mountains of Japan and less formal

*The Gum trees represent the Australian Soldiers killed in the breakout

What is the purpose of the white raked stones?

 

This is what is known as a Japanese rock garden (karesansui) or "dry landscape" garden, often called a Zen garden. It is the creation of a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks and uses gravel that is raked to represent ripples in water.
 

These Zen gardens existed in Japan at least since the Heian Period (784-1185).

FUN FACT ~ The garden is not educational, it's about how it makes you feel and is a fusion of Japan & Australia

Who designed the Japanese buildings throughout the garden?

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These buildings were designed by world renowned Japanese architects Takeo Adachi and Tatsushi Aono.

Fun Fact ~ There are not gutters on the buildings. This design in Japan, is to allow the snow to fall directly from the roof. The white stones that you see under the eves is where water is collected and disbursed.

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Ken Nakajima Place

PO Box 248

Cowra NSW 2794

 

Garden:  02 6341 2233 

Cafe: 02 6342 5222

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Email: info@cowragarden.com.au

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Cowra Japanese Garden & Cultural Centre acknowledges the Wiradjuri people, the Traditional Custodians of the land where we exist. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

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