The uniqueness of this Japanese garden is that it is authentic in every detail but, at the same time, every effort has been made to assimilate it to the contemporary buildings nearby as well as to the San Fernando Valley environment.

In the past few decades numerous "Japanese" gardens have been constructed in the United States but, for the most part, they have tended to be mere assemblages of typical Japanese garden features. In contrast, the design of the area of this garden near the main building is rather simple and abstract. It consists of a "dry garden" composed of a traditional arrangement of stones, gravel, bonsai style pines and shrubs. In this section all other obvious Japanese garden features have been eleiminated.

As one moves away from the building, however, the garden design becomes more and more complex and more obviously Japanese. Many stone accessories are introduced along with arbors and bridges. Finally, the shoin building, Japanese teahouse, waterfall, Japanese gate and walls become focal points in the garden.

The basic style of the garden is known as Chisen-Kaiyushiki or "wet garden with promenade" and is fashioned after those stroll gardens which were built during the 18th and 19th centuries for Japanese feudal lords on their vast estates. Due to the enormity of such gardens, lawns were used extensively giving these gardens a rather open and bright feeling.

The desing of the stroll garden enables the viewer to walk from one point to another and to enjoy differing vistas from different points in the garden. A Japanese garden is created to be enjoyed for each of four seasons. The combinations of flowers such as azeleas, cherry trees, magnolias, wisteria, raphiolepis indica, iris and lotus along with garden
features provide a different mode and interest throughout the entire year.