The Morikami: Essence of Japan in Florida

A magical 200-acre garden where the Far East meets the South lies just beyond Palm Beach's allure of sun and sea and glittering resorts. It's called the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and it's a testament to one man's perseverance. The largest Japanese garden outside of Japan, it's also a soothing destination for reflection, with pine forest, trails, and lakes.

In 1904, Jo Sakai, a New York University graduate, returned to his homeland of Miyazu, Japan, to recruit hands for farming what is now northern Boca Raton. With help from Henry Flagler's East Coast Railroad subsidiary they colonized as Yamato, an ancient name for Japan. When crops fell short, everyone left except for George Sukeji Morikami, who carried on cultivating local crops, eventually donating his land to memorialize the Yamato Colony. His dream took on new dimension with the 1977 opening of the Morikami, a living monument bridging cultural understanding between Morikami's two homelands.

The original Yamato-Kan building chronicles the Yamato Colony, and a 32,000-square-foot main museum has rotating exhibits along with 5,000 art objects and artifacts, including a 500-piece collection of tea-ceremony items. Enjoy a demonstration of sado, the Japanese tea ceremony, in the Seishin-an teahouse, or learn about Japanese history in the 5,000-book library. There are also expansive Japanese gardens with strolling paths, a tropical bonsai collection, and small lakes teeming with koi, plus picnic areas, a shop, and a café.