While Japan and the Dominican Republic are both island-nations, the two countries couldn’t be more different in nearly every aspect – culture, language, climate, cuisine and nature. Despite those seemingly unbridgeable differences, one place in Santo Domingo seems to fuse these two worlds together. The brainchild of local Japanese immigrant, the city’s Japanese Garden teleports visitors to the Land of the Rising Sun, albeit with a few twists that allude to its true whereabouts.
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 15:01 30.11.24
Last Update: 15:03 30.11.24
Though the ever-expanding Dominican capital might feel like a sea of concrete with no end in sight, the city is in fact dotted with dozens of green pockets that vary both in size and upkeep. Perhaps the most prominent of which is the Dr. Rafael María Moscoso Botanic Garden, popularly known as Santo Domingo’s Botanical Gardens.
Spanning over 200 hectares, the botanical garden complex is the largest of its kind throughout the Caribbean, and as such plays a crucial role in safeguarding the island’s biodiversity. Established in 1976 to protect and study the flora of Hispaniola, the garden features thousands of cataloged plant species across ecosystems representing the region’s diverse natural habitats.
Its highlights include a striking central plaza with beautifully landscaped ponds that brims with colorful hydrophytes, and one of the world’s largest floral clocks, a 20-meter-wide sculpture adorned with flowering plants. Suffice to say that the sprawling green space offers visitors a respite from Santo Domingo’s hustle and bustle which can be overwhelming after a few days.
At the heart of the park lies Jardín Japonés, or the Japanese Garden, an oasis of serenity where Japanese landscaping traditions are fused with local elements. Conceived as a symbol of cultural exchange between Japan and the Dominican Republic, the garden was created under the guidance of Mamoru Matsunaga, a pioneering judo master in the country and more significantly, a landscape designer with fondness for Japanese horticulture.
The garden’s manmade lake
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
A memorial dedicated to Mamoru Matsunaga
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
The red bridge that links the small island with the nearby lawns
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
Opened the same year as the Botanical Garden, the Japanese Garden reflects Matsunaga’s vision of blending the aesthetics of two distinct cultures. By incorporating elements such as a traditional torii gate, stone pathways, and koi-filled ponds, with local flora, Matsunaga crafted a place that mirrored his life – a Japanese expat who lived thousands of kilometers from his homeland, in the middle of the Caribbean. In some ways, this thoughtful integration highlights the respect for nature and balance.
Akin to many Japanese-style parks across the world, the red torii gate at the entrance represents the transition from the ordinary to the sacred. The landscape beyond reveals intricate arrangements of rocks, streams, hedges and manicured trees. The garden is centered around a small artificial lake that features a pint-sized isle, accessible solely by an ultra-red bridge where visitors often gather to take photos.
Those who come here can also wander through several bamboo groves or attend an authentic Japanese tea ceremony that takes place in the park’s tea house every so often. Seasonal blooms and carefully curated plants make each visit to the garden throughout the year slightly different.
Sharing the garden’s lush grounds with its gardeners and occasional visitors is a lively population of aquatic turtles and birds. Among them, the ever-vocal geese stand out, honking loudly whenever an unwitting guest ventures too close.
An aquatic bird lands at the surface of the lake
photography by: Omri Westmark
A duck family
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
The local tea house
photography by: Omri Westmark
