Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Gateway |
Collection |
Metro Parks Tacoma - Permanent Collection |
Date |
1961 |
Description |
The intricately carved red-orange Shinto shrine and Torii gate in Point Defiance Park were a gift from the Japanese city of Kokura to the City of Tacoma in 1961, shortly after Tacomans sent them a hand-carved totem pole. Kokura, now called Kitakyushu, is one of Tacoma's international sister cities. In 1982, the gate and shrine were moved from their original location on the grounds of the Washington State Historical Society to Point Defiance Park. The dedication plaque reads "Shrine and Torii, Donated by Tacoma's Sister City, Kokura, Japan, Dedicated to the pioneer Issei for their significant contributions to the history of Puget Sound, Tacoma Nikkeijin Kai, 1891-1984". A Torii Gate traditionally marks the entrance to a shrine or sacred place. The Shinto Shrine is a small structure built to house or enshrine Shinto "kami" or deities. The shrine was constructed in Japan by Toyosuke Nogami, a noted shrine craftsman. Nogami personally selected the Japanese cypress for the shrine and dried it for a month to prevent cracking before beginning construction. In 1982, the shrine underwent restoration by local craftsmen Aki Yotsuuye, Al Kishi, Ted Masumoto and Tom Yotsuuye before it was installed near the Point Defiance Pagoda. A third Japanese element was added to the garden in 1984 with the installation of a Yukimi-doru, or Japanese hand-carved granite lantern. Landscape designers from Kitakyushu and the Pacific Northwest are now in the process of redesigning the gardens around the Torii Gate and Shrine to better reflect authentic Japanese garden design elements. |
Location |
Point Defiance Park |
Object Number |
PDP-004 |
Web link |
Metro Parks Tacoma, Point Defiance Park |