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Paul Dudley | profile | all galleries >> Australian zoos, parks and gardens >> Cowra Japanese Garden tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

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Cowra Japanese Garden

How does it come about that this Australian country town has developed a culture of pacifism and internationalism, an Annual Festival of Understanding, and an astonishingly beautiful Japanese garden? This is the story. There was a prisoner-of-war camp near here during World War II. On August 5, 1944, a thousand Japanese prisoners staged a suicidal breakout. They had knives and baseball bats as weapons, and blankets and one another to throw across the barbed wire. The Australian guards had machine guns. 231 Japanese died and 4 Australians. The Japanese were buried in a mass grave, which was tended respectfully by Australian soldiers returning after the war ended. In 1964, the Japanese government, appreciative of the care and respect shown by Cowra to their dead, moved here the remains of all Japanese fighters buried elsewhere in Australia. There are 522 graves in the Japanese War Cemetery in Cowra. Later, Ken Nakajuma was asked to design a traditional Japanese garden for the town. Japanese language is taught in the local high school, and there are student exchanges with a Japanese high school. Ken Nakajuma designed Japanese gardens all over the world; his ashes are here in Cowra.
Japanese garden at Cowra Agapanthus Interior, Japanese house Interior, Japanese house
Japanese house Flowering shrub (and a spider) beside the water View towards the Shamai pool Agapanthus — and Frances
Two elderly Australians The stream through the garden All maintained by four gardeners View from beside the Education Centre
The Shimai Pond Plaque Viewing platform at the Shimai Pond Viewing platform at the Shimai Pond
Tea House Plums View towards the highest point Not all the plants are Japanese
At the entrance g12/17/342117/3/30261920.GC5nAJhB.jpg In the Japanese Cultural Centre g12/17/342117/3/30261917.H3hOgCie.jpg
g12/17/342117/3/30261918.YUApBx7M.jpg g12/17/342117/3/30261919.PtvszLbQ.jpg g12/17/342117/3/30261921.iI7wbQbS.jpg g12/17/342117/3/30261922.lH0xQw4z.jpg
g12/17/342117/3/30261923.oN9lR6rP.jpg g12/17/342117/3/30261924.Yz34Zdmc.jpg g12/17/342117/3/30261925.hhEp0FLK.jpg g12/17/342117/3/30261926.yH8epBIb.jpg
Little Corellas Rock sculpture outside the entrance Detail of  figure A piece of Japan in Australia
Small duck, big koi Japanese doll collection Magnolia stellata Detail in Japanese house
Rocks at the highest point in the gardem Pine, pool – 1 Pine, pool – 2 Footbridge and cascade – 1
From the pavilion – down hill Ornamental lake Koi in conference Cherry blossom, garden and pool beyond
Footbridge and cascade – 2 From the pavilion – up hill Ornamental lake, with bridge, lantern and sleeping duck Blossom with visitor
Have your name written! Japanese Visitors Japanese Garden Winter in Cowra