With the recent sale of the Lee Creighton Justice Center to the Squaxin Island Tribe, the City of Olympia is planning to relocate the Yashiro Japanese Garden to a new public location.
The current site at 1010 Plum Street SE will close June 1, 2026.
A new location has not yet been selected, but the city is coordinating with its sister city of Kato (formerly Yashiro), Japan and Olympia’s Japanese community to explore “opportunities to deepen cultural connections while preparing for the future garden,” the city said in a news release.
Available funding for relocation is limited, and the future garden will likely be smaller in scale than the current site, the City of Olympia states on a FAQ webpage for the park transition.
The city said its goal is to preserve important elements of the park while developing a design that reflects traditional Japanese garden principles and responds to the conditions of the future site.
“The city’s priority is to carry forward the garden’s legacy as a symbol of friendship between Olympia and Kato (formerly Yashiro), Japan,” the city said in an April 4 news release.
Key features of the current Yashiro Japanese Garden, including stone sculptures and select plantings, will be preserved for incorporation into a future garden.
A landscape designer will be selected through a competitive process, with priority given to expertise in authentic Japanese garden design and will help guide a public process to determine the new location and design, according to the city.
The city expects the planning and relocation process to take several years.
The city said the relocation also creates an opportunity to reconsider how the garden can integrate with the surrounding community, use plants compatible with landscape conditions, and reflect today’s cultural ties to Japan and the local Japanese American community.
“We appreciate your patience and support as this work moves forward,” the city said in a news release.
The Yashiro Japanese Garden is on the same property as the Lee Creighton Justice Center, which the City of Olympia decided to sell to the Squaxin Island Tribe in 2024.
Built in 1966, the facility no longer meets modern court standards and would have required extensive investment, according to the City of Olympia.
Municipal court services moved to Thurston County District Court in February.
For updates on the Japanese Garden relocation, visit the Yashiro Japanese Garden webpage and sign up for Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation's E-News at olympiawa.gov/subscribe.
