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Japanese Friendship Garden
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
56 reviews for Japanese Friendship Garden
If you're driving down Senter Road, there's no way you can miss this place.
I've been to the Japanese Gardens in San Francisco and the one in Saratoga and San Jose's tops them both. First off, you don't have to pay to get in here unlike Saratoga's Hakone Gardens. Second, there is an abundance of koi here and the majority are huge and very colorful! It's a sight to see. Please respect the signs by not feeding the koi and ducks bread. Every time I come here I always see something feeding them bread and that's a major no no! If you're lucky, you can get koi food from dispenser located in the entrance from the park. Of course, you'll have to pay $0.25, but that's nothing, right? I'm sure you've wasted more on junk you have around your house.
There's 2 parking lots next to the garden. I suggest trying the smaller lot that's located to the right of the garden considering you have to pay if you park (it's a hit or miss in this lot, sometimes there's an attendant in the pay booth and sometimes it's all closed up) in the bigger lot located to the left of the garden.
It was my first time coming to Kelley Park and I was a little sad! They're currently renovating the Park which is a good thing but I wasn't able to see the beautiful koi fish! Apparently they got Koi herpesvirus and started dying off. Park reopened this month but no kois yet! The sweetie said that they did a good job cleaning because before it used to look disastrous. Oh well, guess we gotta come back another time.
Other than that the park is really nice. There's lots of places to venture and I enjoyed viewing all the landscaping and such.
It was 80+ degrees when I came here with my boyfriend, and coming from SF, I can't stand anything over 75..
It smells here. Maybe it was the heat. It was a little hard to find. Also, there were a ton of bugs and very few koi fish. The ducks were adorable and the place was very pretty. I didn't see the vending machines that sold koi food.
People say parking is $6.. there wasn't an attendant in the booth so we just parked without paying.
It's a nice place to spend a warm day.
We seeked refuge from the sun at Valleyfair afterwards.
I came here first when I was 11, since then I still come by once in while. But recently I brought some of my out of town family here and realize all the kois are gone and the ponds was dry out, it was a little disappointing to show my family this empty pond, where I made a big bang of there beautiful koi's. Later on I found out that there is construction going on with the koi ponds. I guess it wasn't meant to be for my family to be able to see this beautiful garden.
Where did all the koi go? I went there yesterday & the ponds were drained! Is this budget cuts or draught or scandalous entrepreneurs? Lovely nonetheless & the marching band @ SJSU Spartans Stadium was amusing, as was the suspected culprit crawdad lurking near the tea house! Only a couple other couples circulating there, the ubiquitous tweaker border bro & a couple borrachos @ the BBQ park that's connected.
My second Japanese garden in a week after going to Hakone in Saratoga. This place is as good plus it is free except for the $6 parking fee.Very scenic and peaceful with beautiful views.
The weather has been beautiful lately and all I want to do is to be outside and bask in the warmth. So, when the bf picked me up from work the other day, we decided to grab some Hawaiian grindz and enjoy it outside. We Yelped local parks and came across the Japanese Friendship Garden---and surprisingly, neither of us had ever been. Since it was near 6pm, there were few cars in the lot by the time we pulled in.
We walked through gates and to our surprise, found an absolutely beautiful garden awaiting us! Several large ponds filled with koi and ducklings, beautiful Japanese red maple trees, meticulously manicured bonsai plants, and overall just a lovely space. Such a hidden gem that if you can tune out the sounds of cars passing by every so now and then, you would definitely forget that you were in San Jose!
The bf and I found a secluded bench and enjoyed our dinner in the warm, spring evening. What a wonderful place for a quick romantic picnic or get away from urban living!
I can't wait to come back to shoot some photos!
After lunch at Nha Trang, we were done browsing the store in Lion Plaza, but we weren't ready to head back home up along the Peninsula. The weather was nice, and still wanted to enjoy it as much as we can. Michael A.'s wife suggested the Japanese Friendship Garden. We could walk around and the kids can feed the ducks and koi.
It was 4PM, and there was ample parking in the adjacent parking lot. We had some plastic bags, and each of the girls filled each one with a $1 of duck/fish feed. The girls ran around the ponds, feeding the various ducks and geese.
This is a good sized garden, with two large ponds, and winding paths that follow the sloping grades. All sorts of people were here strolling about in this garden, enjoying sunny weather and the gentle breeze between the trees.
While we were there, there were two wedding parties taking pictures, and later on, we saw a bunch of high school juniors dressed up for a prom or Spring dance, arrive to take group and couples' pictures.
After the kids finished feeding the ducks, and had their fill of rolling down the hills, we were refreshed, and headed back home. A nice ending to an easy afternoon.
came here twice and i really like it except they're going through renovations right now, so there's no water there. the first time i was here, though, it was beautiful. you can enjoy a very relaxing and serene environment along with the fish, birds, squirrels, and everything else. i see a guard gate there, but i've never had to pay for parking, so you can't beat that either.
A little spring cleaning is long overdue...
The sewer pond is now as green as the trees and copious plant life. Since the water is pretty much toxic, most of the Koi are dead and gone. This made it a little tough for me to appreciate the otherwise nice scenery.
Two large ponds to sit and picnic around.
Ducks and Koi.
Pretty popular on the the weekends.
The water is kind uv dirty though.
Next to the Happy Hollow Zoo and Park and Kelley History Park http://www.yelp.com/bi...
My friends and I decided to kick it here for a while before heading over to kick it with my bf for a while. Very nice day for a very nice place.
Parking is $6, so we opted to park a block away for free!! It was a busy saturday afternoon but still somewhat peaceful if you block them out.
There was only about 4 koi fish in the pond due to a virus that killed most of them off. They said that they will drain the pond, desterilize, and then place more koi back in. Good thing we got to see it before they did!
I wanted to explore more of the park areas where families and their kids were having picnics and parties.
Cute little get away to spend a few hours of your time.
I went to this park with my boyfriend of the time on a weekend we were trying to save cash...it was free so it was on our list of things to do.
I really like this park. The landscaping is beautiful and it is a relatively quiet place. Good for a walk when you just want to escape large groups of people. I have to say since there were koi fish I have to be biased since I just adore them. I love that there is a little dispenser of fish food that is safe for the koi there as well... I was just disappointed that we hadn't bought any cash with us to buy more food. Watch out for the ducks too they tend to steal all the food from the fish!!!!
I really like it here and would definitely recommend it to people who are looking for a calming and quiet place...just bring a lot of quarters so you can feed all the fish!!
stopped by this place for the first time this last weekend. It was odd considering i never expected this place to be here. It was like traversing into the Twilight Zone.
This place was very well kept and it was refreshing to see something this nice around so much ugliness (there's literally a walmart, gas station and liquor store less than 2 blocks away).
I also spotted a mexican couple sitting on the grass and it got me so riled up i wanted to walk up and translate the sign "please stay off grass", but then i thought, what if they do speak english and they're just inconsiderate and that made me even more upset, but the garden was so relaxing it actually cooled me off and enjoyed the rest of my walk and was even able to laugh when my friend's 3 year old kid fell into the pond (shhhhh).
good times, good times.
While this is still a relaxing place to take a walk, it's looking incredibly glum lately. The pond is a mess and I saw a total of like five fish. It's pretty depressing, actually. I have a couple great memories here, but I'm afraid I'll have to dock a couple stars. =(
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/21/2009
This place automatically gets five stars 'cause I had a very special moment here with my boyfriend.… Read more »
Definitely a beautiful place to take pictures. The koi fish are freaking huge!
Minus one star for not having anymore food to feed the koi fish! We brought tons of quarters, too!
Enjoyable. TOO BAD the koi are gone. Well the majority that is.
Do not -- I repeat, do NOT -- come here when it's dollar admission day at Happy Hollow, right across the way. F'gettaboutit. Before you visit, check Happy Hollow's calendar on their website to make sure there are no special promotions going on at that park, because that's when the field trips spill over into the Japanese Garden and ruin your life.
I've been enjoying the fish, the ducks, the gorgeous scenery, only to have it obliterated by shit-faced kids throwing their crap in the water, screaming their lungs out, disrespecting their chaperones. Look at all that litter in the water and on the paths...disgusting!
This place is meant to be tranquil, and when it is, it's the best. Beautiful, peaceful, photogenic, and calm. Go when your solitude, photography, communing with nature, whatever, won't likely be interrupted by groups of booger-machines showing off how far they can fling their cups into the pond.
Like other Yelpers have pointed out, this is a fantastic place to be photographed, if you're into that. You don't have to look hard for great backdrops and the colors blend beautifully on film. One of my favorite shots of my partner and me was taken here!
I went here for the first time about two months ago and it was a pleasant experience. I love how it gives that sense of calmness and serenity especially during our current stressful and unfavorable economy times. It's a nice place to escape to and relax for a bit.
I was disappointed to see the lack of fishes there since that was the main reason why I wanted to visit this place! There was a good reason why the fishes were missing, so it's understandable. Maybe it will be different during my next visit? Let's hope so!!!! At the end of the pond, the water looked a little dirty and had this smell that I didn't like. Overall, it's a nice place to go to if you want to go for a short walk while enjoying nature's beauty.
This park reminds me of my childhood growing up in San Jose. My parents would take me there with a bag of quarters for the koi fish food machine and I would just have the time of my life feeding the koi. I still get warm fuzzy feelings being at the park. There are always people around taking pictures and getting their pictures taken for weddings or for high school. It's one of the only places I know that I can just hang out and be happy to do nothing but look around. Once in a while the sounds of mariachi music filters through from the other side of the park which sounds out of place since it is a Japanese garden, but I can over look that.
Like I mentioned, a great place to have pictures taken. People are generally polite and not going to stare at me like I stepped off a space ship if I have a costume on because there are other people doing the same thing.
What a wonderful hidden gem! As I walked down the cement path looking to my left I saw beautiful green trees, straight ahead a stunning pond, to my right a playful wooden bridge. I was somewhere else.. not San Jose. It's peaceful, calm, soothing, beautiful. What I loved the most were the koi fish and baby ducks. Great place for a little date when you want to get away from downtown and it's hustle and bustle.
I came here with my darling friend on a Sunday, and we had tons of fun frolicking about and disobeying park rules. It is "Open until Sundown."
The Good:
-Ducks and FUZZY DUCKLINGS!
-Koi!
-Fluffy trees! (see my pix)
-Waterfall thing
-Fluffy grass!
-No one scolds you for disobeying park rules...no one is even there to oversee things
-Fluffy shrubs!
-Creeks
-Weeping Willows
-Fluffy fish!
-Cute kids
The Bad:
-Traffic. Took me forever to get here (It is right next to Happy Hollow and another park).
-Parking. Parking lot was completely full, and no one was leaving. Plan B: Drove to Happy Hollow where parking was also full. Plan C: Drove to Shopping Center with a Taco Bell, parked, bought nachos for a dollar, and walked about a mile to the Japanese Friendship Garden while being hollered at.
-The signs that tell us not to step on the grass.
-No fish food available! I want to feed the fishies dammit.
-The ponds are very very green and murky, which make for unpleasant pictures.
-Oglers, some of which are there with their wives and kids.
Such a beautiful place to sit and meditate, be alone with your thoughts and just enjoy the moment. . . when the local families with undisciplined brats aren't there to spoil it.
It's wonderful that this is available, but parents, please don't let your kids run wild. It's very scary to have to be ready to leap to your feet because your dear little one might get to close to the pond and fall in.
That being said, the waterfalls, Koi and greenery are very soothing. It's a great place to come and take pictures, especially in the Fall. As a matter of fact, the picture for my profile is from there.
My Opinion/Story:
This garden is beautiful and really kept nice and clean. I went here after going to Hakone Garden and I really love the beauty and simplicity of a Japanese garden. I love going to this place not only because it's the closest to our place but because they're really beautiful and clean. The Koi pond is clean and you can really see the Kois. You see the landscape and the rocks around are placed nicely. I definitely recommend visiting this place.
Definitely a place I remember visiting many a time when I was a wee one. I can still remember the utter pure joy I felt when all the koi would come swim to MY side of the pond. Of course, that was only because I was feeding them, but nonetheless. Years later, it seems as if there are less fish in the ponds, and the water is definitely murkier than I remember. =/
It is a great place to come and enjoy the beauty of nature and spend time with your special someone, or just to take kids to! Come on, what kid doesn't love feeding animals? Besides the fish, there are sometimes ducks that you can feed your old stale bread to. It's also an awesome place for a photo-op! For my sister's wedding, the entire wedding party came here (all decked out in tuxes and dresses) and we got a lot of beautiful snapshots.
Across from the SJ State baseball fields, the Japanese Friendship Garden provided a serene spot to stroll away a warm evening. After getting Togo's up on Story Ave, we grabbed our picnic blanket and headed out.
With such a lovely setting, I was a little disappointed to find out that that expansive, green grass is off limits. We found a bench by a waterfall and settled down there. Well-manicured and serene, we were happy to have found a good spot.
We noticed maybe half a dozen other visitors on a weekday evening. The garden closes at sunset, and the friendly ranger will make a round about 30 minutes in advance to warm you that he'll be closing the gate soon.
I was very disappointed with this park. They charged $6.00 for parking for a dumpy garden. Someone needs to save this place in order for me to ever go back there.
I love how peaceful and well-maintained this garden is. It's been a while since I've been here, but it's relaxing a place for a first-date.
Note, parking is $6 but there's never anyone there to collect. Oh well.
It seems like a nice place to have a small picnic and it's a lot larger than I remembered. However, there's signs to keep off the grass, what a shame. But it's a nice place to get away from the busy city. It's well maintained and clean except for the ponds. I feel bad for the koi fish, the water is all green and murky.
Anywho, they have lots of koi fish and ducks! You can feed them for 25 cents :) It gets kind of crowded in the late afternoon/weekend, lots of kids and families but its cute watching the kids feed the fishes. The park closes half an hour before/after sunset, I forgot...ANYWAYS, it's total hidden gem of San Jose and a must do if you haven't!
This is my first park in San Jose. Close to my work and it's just the best! Very peaceful vibe. The giant Kois are a trip. They're scary big and they're fascinating at the same time. You can purchase food a$.25 at a time to feed them. Or you can bring your own spoiled bread. They also make you pay for parking. Forgot how much.
I love this place. I have fond memories of this park from my childhood, and I still enjoy coming here, years later.
The koi are huge and endlessly fun to watch. Bring quarters for the fish food machines. Even people who protest that they're too old to enjoy it will be drawn in by the gathering of a whole crowd of fish and the funny faces they make when they eat. Sometimes the koi will sneak up on the food and then dart away. It's fantastic.
Aside from the main attraction, the rest of the park is great too. It's filled with willow trees, bridges, a small waterfall, a little "creek", ornamental rocks and statues. A nice place to stroll around, and there are plenty of benches and soft grassy spots to sit and enjoy the view. It's a great place to bring a picnic, or just wander around after a good meal.
Parking can sometimes be difficult to find, but Happy Hollow is closed for renovations right now, so that parking lot is parking lot is relatively empty. If you park there, it's about a quarter mile to the Japanese garden - just make sure you're going in the right direction!
I came here finally after many years.
It's just the same as I remember. The area is clean and tranquil.
Parking was just fine considering it was around lunch time and it was free to get in.
I walked around a bit to locate the Koi fish. There weren't as much as before, but these fish were huge! Some as big as my forearm - yeah ... maybe not, but you get it.
I was glad to find the fish food dispenser was full, I just wish they placed more of them around the area. There was about 2 that I came across. I felt bad for the fish because the ducks kept snatching the food away from them (those agile machines!)
I really enjoyed it and would definitely come here for peace and quiet or maybe just for a picnic. I certainly appreciated the people who kept quiet here too, it's lovely.
I have a lot of fond memories of this park. I have been going here since I could barely even walk and it is still beautiful. I have been to parks like this is the busy cities of Japan and it is entirely the same concept. A place to find serenity amongst a busy city. A zen experience for those who just want to get away from San Jose without literally going away. It is well manicured and just picture perfect.
There is a charge for parking but I usually park across the street in front of the Giant's stadium and walk. The fish food machines were not all functioning when I was there last. It is not super big but definitely big enough. Definitely a jewel of San Jose, if you live here and haven't been put it on your to do list right now!
With the exception of the families taking pictures BEHIND the barriers and destroying the flora and fauna with their sandaled feet, this is a peaceful and beautiful way to spend a summer afternoon.
The grounds are extensive with a good many mature trees, two steep hills, and moving water. The koi in the ponds are freaky big but it's fun to watch the little kids feed them fish pellets. 25 cents for a handful. The ducks were also out and about with their kids. That's fun to watch too.
Please stay off of the grass. It's green and lush and beautiful because we're not allowed to play on it.
The abundance of benches and trash bins make for easy garden picnics.
Parking is $6!!! But entry to the park/garden is free.
I have a huge connection to this place. I used to work in Kelley Park, and spent many of my breaks walking around this park. The family atmosphere is outstanding. Couples walking around hand-in-hand; kids feeding the ducks and koi fish.
Admission is free. Now parking is the tricky part. During the non-summer months, parking is free on the weekdays and some weekend near the small Alma parking lot next to the History Park.
-You can also park on Alma St. and just use the crosswalk.
-There is another hidden parking lot in the back of Phelan Ave. just go back past the History Park and you'll find a huge almost empty parking lot. Use the trail from there to get into Kelley Park.
I've been here many times and indeed this is a very beautiful place to hang out with! Bring your love ones especially the kids to this captivating place and for sure they will be intoxicated with its beauty.
Kat, Samantha, and others already mentioned what's in here and what you can do, and all I can say is that the "Koi Fish" and "the serenity it brings" are the reasons why I keep on returning to this beautiful place.
"For first time goers," make sure to check out Michelle C. info. about "Parking," and also, if your bringing kids with you to this place, just make sure to bring some "quarters" with you if you don't want them to get upset. :-)
Enjoy!!!
After Happy Hollow wears you out. After you've read every book, tried every game, seen the edge of true Overstimulation (you, not your kids), then head to the Japanese Friendship Gardens.
1. It's mellow.
2. The kids can run and run and run and you can still see them and have some confidence in their safety.
3. You can bring an picnic and not need a picnic table.
4. You can be quiet, but your kids don't have to.
5. You can get an ice cream at the History San Jose buildings next to the Gardens.
Once you get use to dodging the swarms of gnats and elementary children you'll find JFG a relaxing place to just take a stroll with a loved one.
Unfortunately they don't offer fish food to feed the giant koi anymore but you can always bring a little baggie of frozen peas. Just be on the down low!
As for the "stay off the grass" signs....I just laugh at them :D
BTW Free parking on weekdays
This is a really wonderful place. On a nice early morning, the sun coming up, the breeze rolling though...
My fiancee and I have spent may days here. Walking around. Enjoying the well maintained landscape, watching the koi swim slowly though the ponds. In the late spring you can watch the mother ducks and their chicks run around as well.
Very laid back, very peaceful. Just a great place to sit and exist.
This past weekend when it was sunny, we decided to come here. The Japanese Friendship Garden shares a parking lot with the Happy Hollow Park & Zoo and Kelley Park, which has picnic & BBQ areas, etc. It was $6 for parking on a Saturday. No fee for admission to the garden.
I remember going here as a kid and somehow it looked much prettier back then, with the occasional couple taking wedding pictures. During my recent visit, the garden itself to me seems small and unimpressive. There were also tons and tons of kids out running about and some of them threw rocks at the koi fish. You have your standard Japanese garden with bonsai trees, small waterfall, two ponds, a small bridge that dead-ends to nowhere, an empty tea house (only available for rental, I think).
The only thing that stood out were the koi fishies. Some of them grew to be quite large. For a quarter you can get a small amount of fish pellets from a dispenser and feed the fish, although they were probably overfed and uninterested.
