In the south Seattle neighborhood of Rainier Beach is a beautiful 20 acre garden. On the small acreage are hills and valleys, streams and waterfalls, bridges and ponds, winding paths and an abundance of plants, native and otherwise, arranged in the style of a Japanese garden. The garden is the legacy of 60 years of work by Fujitaru Kubota. A Japanese emigrant, Mr. Kubota founded a successful gardening company in Seattle in 1927. Entirely self-taught as a gardener, his business thrived and the property that would become a Seattle park was the home, office, design and display center. The gardens at Seattle University are an example of his public work.
During World War II, the Kubota family was interned at Camp Minidoka in Idaho. They were able to return at the end of the war and restart the family business. Mr. Kubota died in 1972 at the age of 94.
In 1981 the garden was declared a Historical Landmark of the City of Seattle. In 1987 the city acquired the property. It is maintained by the Seattle Parks and Recreation and supported by volunteers and the Kubota Garden Foundation.
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