Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

Hannah Carter Japanese Garden. A traditional Japanese garden located in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Originally designed by renowned landscape architect Nagao Sakurai and constructed in 1961, the garden was a gift to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1965. It is celebrated as a premier example of a stroll garden outside Japan, incorporating classic elements like stone lanterns, a katsura tree, and a tea house.

History

The garden's origins trace to the property of Edward W. Carter, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who served as Regent of the University of California. Inspired by travels to Japan, Carter and his wife, Hannah Locke Carter, commissioned the project following the destruction of their home in the 1961 Bel Air Fire. They engaged Nagao Sakurai, a master designer who had worked on the Japanese Garden of the Huntington Library and served as a consultant for the Japan Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair. The garden was completed in 1961 and subsequently donated to UCLA in 1965, with the stipulation it be maintained for educational and cultural purposes. For decades, it was managed by the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture and was a notable feature on tours of Los Angeles cultural sites.

Design and features

The garden is a quintessential Kaiyū-shiki teien (stroll garden) designed for immersive, changing views along a winding path. Nagao Sakurai integrated core principles of Japanese garden design, emphasizing harmony with the steep, canyon terrain of Bel-Air. Key features include a multi-tiered waterfall and pond system stocked with koi, a meticulously placed array of stone lanterns and bridges, and carefully curated plantings of Japanese maple, pine, bamboo, and a prized katsura tree. A central element is the authentic chashitsu (tea house), used for the Japanese tea ceremony, alongside stone arrangements symbolizing Mount Horai and a dry landscape garden evoking flowing water. The design creates a series of composed scenes reminiscent of famous landscapes in Kyoto and other parts of Japan.

Relocation and preservation efforts

In 2012, UCLA announced controversial plans to sell the property, citing high maintenance costs and seismic safety concerns, sparking a major preservation battle. The University of California Board of Regents faced lawsuits from the Carter family and opposition from groups like the Friends of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and the California Garden & Landscape History Society. Despite a California Superior Court injunction and widespread protest from the Los Angeles cultural community, the California Court of Appeal ultimately allowed the sale to proceed in 2016. The garden was purchased by a private owner, leading to the complex and internationally watched process of relocating its historic elements, including the tea house, stone lanterns, and mature plantings, to a new site in the San Fernando Valley.

Public access and use

During its operation under UCLA, the garden was open to the public for reserved tours, serving as a vital resource for students and scholars from the UCLA Department of Art History and UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. It was a venue for academic study, cultural events, and Japanese tea ceremony demonstrations, contributing to the understanding of Japanese aesthetics in Southern California. Following its sale and relocation, public access was suspended. The future accessibility of the reassembled garden at its new private location remains determined by its current stewards, though its historical role placed it alongside other major public gardens in Los Angeles like the Huntington Library and Descanso Gardens.

Significance and recognition

The garden is widely regarded as one of the most significant and authentic Japanese gardens in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, with its nomination prepared by experts from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. The garden's design by Nagao Sakurai represents an important chapter in the transnational exchange of Japanese landscape design principles in post-war America. Its preservation struggle highlighted critical issues in historic preservation law and the stewardship of cultural assets by public institutions like the University of California. The garden is frequently cited in studies on Japanese gardens abroad and remains a noted part of the cultural heritage of Los Angeles.

Category:Japanese gardens in California Category:Bel Air, Los Angeles Category:University of California, Los Angeles