Roots of Asian culture

Japanese gardens were introduced to the American public at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, almost immediately after which they were imitated throughout the country. They were, perhaps, the first item springing from Japanese culture to become widely accepted in the United States. The Japanese American National Museum presents “Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden,” a multimedia exhibition tracing the history and personal stories of West Coast Japanese Americans who drew on their ethnic and agricultural background to expose, and in the process mold and reinvent, Japanese gardening to and for the diverse American landscape.

“Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden,” Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. 1st St., Los Angeles.

Opens Sunday. $4 to $8: members and children younger than 5, free. (213) 625-0414.

* Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; closed Monday. Ends Oct. 21.