Shinzen Friendship Garden

Shinzen Friendship Garden is a 5-acre traditional Japanese garden nestled within Fresno's Woodward Park, established in 1981 to celebrate the friendship between Fresno and its Sister City, Kochi, Japan. Designed as a North American-style Japanese garden, it features koi-filled ponds, elegant bridges, seasonal plant collections, and stroll paths that reflect the four seasons. The garden is also home to the Clark Bonsai Collection, a living art exhibit showcasing bonsai artistry. Five distinct outdoor spaces accommodate private events from intimate gatherings to celebrations of up to 100 guests. From the serene Ume Grove with its meandering paths to the Koi Pond & Waterfall area with views of Woodward Lake, each setting offers a unique backdrop rooted in Japanese landscape tradition. The garden is operated through a partnership between the City of Fresno Parks Department and Shinzen Friendship Garden, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All events take place during regular garden hours in this shared public space, creating a distinctly natural, open-air experience.