Sydney is home to a number of Japanese institutions including the popular Auburn Botanic Gardens and the serene Blue Mountains Bathhouse but a sprawling space in Cowra might be the closest thing to being in Japan that you can experience in NSW. The Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre is a 12.5-acre space with manicured hedges, waterfalls, two tranquil lakes and cascading streams and it’s the largest garden of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Cowra Japanese Garden
The garden was designed by designer Ken Nakajima to reflect the Japanese landscape, and evokes feelings of a quiet garden in Tokyo or Kyoto. It opened in 1979 and has since provided a space for rest and reflection for locals and tourists from around NSW and Australia. Soak up the history at the cultural centre before heading down to explore the gardens.
Here you can spend the day walking around its well-kept lawns, do some bird watching, check out a traditional Edo Cottage, browse the resident gift shop and dine at a picturesque, open-air tea house and bonsai house. The garden also hosts a variety of activities throughout the year if you want to learn more about Japanese culture including calligraphy, origami and ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) workshops, traditional tea ceremonies, exhibitions and informative talks conducted by local staff.
The garden was established to mark and develop the relationship between the people of Cowra Shire and the people of Japan, a relationship that dates back to World War II.
How to get there
Cowra is located around 320 kilometres west of Sydney. You can get there in around a four hours’ drive from the Sydney CBD which is the best way to get there. You can also take the train from Central to Mount Victoria or Bathurst and then a bus but be prepared for a long journey. Tickets are needed to enter the garden and you can get yours here. The garden can be visited all year but is especially lovely when the trees are blooming in autumn and spring. Head here for more information.