Garden History and Development
Kubota Garden's first 5 acres.
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​The essay Fujitaro Kubota’s Life, Inspiration, and Garden Style, from the 2019 Master Plan Update provides insight into the life experiences that inspired Fujitaro Kubota's life as a landscape designer.​
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The graphic Timeline of the Garden's development, by Anna Carragee, outlines the influences that went into the creating the Garden we see today.
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Fujitaro Kubota... and his garden
This documentary film focuses on the early days of the garden through 1986, when it was purchased by the City of Seattle. It features former colleagues, family members, clients, and community members who share their thoughts about Fujitaro Kubota and his development of the garden. The story is told through skillfully knitted-together interviews and photos from the Kubota Garden Foundation archives and other sources. Production of this video was supported by a grant from 4Culture.
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The film can be viewed and downloaded online for free thanks to our partners at DENSHO. ​
KGF has produced a discussion guide for adult community groups. Click the button below to download a free PDF of the document.
A Teacher's Guide to Kubota Garden
Initially developed for elementary school teachers, this guide has proven an excellent resource for all age groups. It contains a history of Fujitaro Kubota and his family, the development of the Garden, and a pictoral guide to key features of the Garden. It also contains a scavenger hunt and other ideas for engaging young people. ​
Kubota Garden Then & Now features KGF historian and archivist Ernie Dornfeld presenting a visual history of the Garden
Stone sculptor, and KGF Board member, Kentaro Kojima explains the importance of stone is Japanese gardens and the development of the ishigaki wall beneath the Terrace Overlook.