DAY TRIP UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

A sanctuary of a different sort rests on more than one acre of land in exclusive Bel Air. The UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is about one mile from the school’s campus, and features elegant and culturally representative designs and exhibits. Inspired by the Kyoto Gardens, they bring the style and beauty of Japan to Southern California. A number of the structures in the garden — bridges, the garden house, the main gate and a shrine — were built in Japan and reassembled in California. Stone carvings, water basins and lanterns, the five-tiered pagoda, and some of the rocks were also imported from Japan.

In order for the garden to truly emulate Japanese gardens, Nagao Sakurai and Kazua Nakamura were hired to design it for the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Guiberson in 1959. Nakamura was known for being the Kyoto garden designer, and Sakurai is a landscape architect.

The land was purchased by Edward W. Carter and his wife, Hannah, in 1965 and donated to UCLA. The university left its impression after rain damaged the gardens in 1969 and UCLA professor Koichi Kawana designed the reconstruction.

The garden was officially renamed the UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden in 1982.

GETTING THERE

Take the 405 Freeway north to Wilshire Boulevard, exit 55B. Plan ahead for the trip. It may be 45 miles, but traffic going to the Los Angeles area can be heavy, turning a 50-minute drive into one as long as two hours.

HOURS

The garden is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The site has limited parking, so reservations are required. To make a reservation, call (310) 794-0320 or e-mail gardens@support.ucla.edu at least 10 days in advance of the date you plan to attend. Tours are self-guided. Groups of 10 or more can inquire about docent-guided tours, but availability is limited.

ADMISSION AND POLICIES

Admission to the garden is free, but only those with reservations are admitted. No food, drink, pets or smoking is allowed. Due to the garden’s terrain, it cannot accommodate individuals in wheelchairs or strollers. The garden closes in the event of rain. Non-leather soled shoes or flat-heeled shoes are recommended. The gardens do close for holidays. Check the website for a schedule.

WHAT YOU’RE SEEING

The elements of the garden are not meant to merely be beautiful, they are symbolic. Water, stones and plants represent insights to the Japanese culture. Water represents the sea. Islands within the sea are also important, and to have water — or something symbolizing water — without islands is not an option. Often, other symbols or valued creatures are used as islands, such as images of the crane or tortoise. It all correlates to Japan as an island and its connection to the surrounding water. Various plants symbolize values: pines are for long life, and red and black pines symbolize “in” and “yo” — the male and female forces in the universe.

Most of the aesthetics of the garden are born from the influences of Zen Buddhism, such as naturalness, asymmetry, imperfect and odd numbers, tranquillity, simplicity, austerity and maturity.

— Daniel Tedford