Japanese Garden
Overview
The Japanese Garden in Rijeka is a Japanese-inspired educational and peace garden in front of Vežica Primary School in the Donja Vežica district. Opened in 2013, the approximately 850-square-metre garden was designed by Japanese environmental designer Iso Hayato around the theme “Movement Forward and Peace.” Its composition combined a pond and fountain, stone arrangements, paths, Japanese flowering cherries, maples and an area intended for tea-related activities. The garden was conceived not only as an ornamental landscape, but also as an inclusive outdoor learning environment for schoolchildren and the wider community.
History
The first plans for the garden emerged around 2009–2010 through cooperation between Vežica Primary School, Rotary Club Rijeka – Sveti Vid and Rotary Club Tokyo Tsukiji. The project was supported by numerous local companies and donors, while the City of Rijeka authorised the use of the municipal land in front of the school and donated planting material.
The design was prepared by Iso Hayato of Iso Deco Environmental Design in Yokohama. The project documents describe the garden as a contemporary reinterpretation of a garden from the Momoyama period, organised around the message “Movement Forward and Peace.” It was also planned as a sustainable and inclusive educational landscape, incorporating rainwater use, composting, drought-conscious planting and gardening activities involving children with and without disabilities.
Construction relied heavily on donated Croatian materials and labour rather than imported Japanese components. Local stone and plants adapted to the coastal climate were combined with selected Japanese maples and flowering cherries. The completed garden was formally opened in June 2013 as a gift to the children of Vežica and the citizens of Rijeka.
In 2015, the garden was included among seven notable or especially beautiful school gardens in Croatia. It also became a symbol of Rijeka’s wider relationship with Japan, particularly its long-standing friendship with Kawasaki, established in 1977, although the garden project itself was principally realised through the two Rotary clubs rather than directly commissioned by Kawasaki City.
Design features
The garden was conceived as a symbolic landscape combining strength, movement and peace. Large stone blocks represented fortress-like stability, while the transition towards the quieter tea-related area symbolised the movement from conflict or difficulty towards reconciliation and calm.
A pond and fountain with fish originally formed the principal water feature. Curving paths passed through planted areas containing Japanese flowering cherries, maples and locally adapted vegetation, while decorative elements and stone arrangements reinforced the Japanese character of the composition.
The garden was intended to support outdoor teaching, environmental education and shared gardening activities. Its design therefore combined Japanese landscape symbolism with contemporary objectives such as social inclusion, sustainability and community participation, rather than reproducing a single historical Japanese garden type.
Garden elements
Bridges
Enclosures
Waters and islands
Stones
Current status
The garden survives in front of Vežica Primary School, but recent reports from 2026 describe it as severely neglected and damaged. Most original features have deteriorated, the pond and decorative elements are no longer maintained, and reportedly only one of the Japanese cherry trees remains in recognisable condition. A local civic initiative has called on the City of Rijeka to undertake a full restoration.