The Japanese Garden

This appropriately titled Japanese garden—which also goes by SuihoEn, or “garden of water and fragrance”—sits just across from the Sepulveda Basin on the border of Van Nuys, a surprising, 6.5-acre oasis deep in the Valley. The stony bridges and footpaths wind along a central pond, flanked by rockwork, manicured trees and tea houses—not to mention all matter of water fowl. Depending on the time of year you visit, you might see azaleas, cherry blossoms, magnolias, wisteria, raphiolepis indica, iris or lotus. Believe it or not, all of that flora provides cover for a bit of an industrial edge: The garden is irrigated by the adjacent Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. 

While entry was free for a long time, visitors once again need to pay a nominal fee to visit following a recent renovation that installed a new dry Zen garden and bridges and refreshed pathways and visitor facilities. Advance reservations are no longer necessary, though the garden’s weekday hours are admittedly limited. On the second Sunday of each month, however, the garden presents its Japanese Cultural Program, with family-friendly activities and cultural performances (think taiko drumming or origami).