Watch as the heiwa/peace symbol is raked into both dry gardens at Sansho-en, the Malott Japanese Garden. The pattern will be viewable throughout our participation in Gardens for Peace (from August 16 through September 1, 2024).

Gardens for Peace is a project of the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA) that brings communities together in Japanese gardens to promote peace. 

Gardens for Peace founder Martin McKellar was inspired on a trip to Kyoto, Japan, where he connected with Mrs. Toshiko Tanaka, a Hiroshima-based enamel artist. As a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, she became a peace advocate and created the beautiful raked pattern rendering of the Japanese word for peace: heiwa. Mr. McKellar brought this concept first to the Harn Garden’s karesansui (dry garden) in Gainsville, Florida, where he volunteered; the project then spread across North America, where many Japanese gardens were designed as bridges to cultural understanding and reconciliation.

Visit NAJGA’s website (najga.org/gardensforpeace) to view the unique G4P projects across North America.