3.5 total acres with a 5/8 acre Koi pond.
More than 50 varieties of plants including two varieties of bamboo. Designers
chose plant species that can withstand the rigors of a desert environment.
1,500
tons of rock handpicked from quarries near Jerome, Superior, Congress and
Florence line the stream beds, walking paths, lakeshore and main lake waterfall.
Landscape architects from Himeji, Japan made 60 trips to Phoenix and city
of Phoenix delegations made 5 trips to Himeji since 1987. Overall, more
than 50 architects from Himeji contributed to the project.
Construction Cost: $3.8 million by bond funds, $1.0 million by private donations.
The name – Ro Ho En is a combination of three Japanese words. Ro
means Heron, a bird symbol of Himeji City. Shira Sagi Jou, or the White
Heron, is a 300-year-old medieval castle in Himeji. Ho is
the Japanese word for the city of Phoenix bird. En means garden.
Himeji became a Phoenix sister city in November 1976 and is one of nine
sister cities around the globe. Phoenix and Himeji participate in business,
governmental, cultural and educational exchanges that promote international
goodwill and understanding.
The Garden is the shared cultural vision of the cities of Phoenix and Himeji.
