The Portland Japanese Garden Koi Pond

Kevin Warren
Oct 17
6 min read

The koi pond at the Portland Japanese Garden — The infamous koi pond at the Portland Japanese Garden

Japanese Culture: Pond - Garden - Mindfulness

Nestled into the hillside above Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, stands the most exquisite example of Japanese garden design in the United States — the Portland Japanese Garden.

Among its many celebrated features, one stands out as both a visual centerpiece and a cultural bridge: the koi pond. In most Japanese gardens throughout Japan, koi ponds are serene backdrops for reflection — seldom the focal point where visitors gather for long moments. Yet here, The Portland Japanese Garden and koi pond combine, causing visitors to linger, captivated by the colors and calm movement of the fish.

Within the Strolling Pond Garden, the koi pond is masterfully placed. The cascading Heavenly Falls tumbles down a tree-lined slope into the pond’s largest section, creating a tranquil space. The scene invites meditation — a balance of movement and stillness, water and air, light and shade.

The Strolling Pond Garden: Home to Nishikigoi

When the koi pond was first established, the Nishikigoi — Japan’s “Living Jewels” — were kept in the upper pond above the Moon Bridge. As koi are known to do, they ventured into other areas of the pond garden. Eventually, it was decided that the koi would be best kept in the lower pond, limiting their range to wander.

Former Bear Den where the Portland Japanese Garden koi pond now exists — Former Bear Den is now the site of the Portland Japanese Garden Koi Pond

Before the garden’s founding in 1963, the same water feature that now hosts the koi — including the Zigzag Bridge — was part of the Portland Zoo and served as a bear enclosure. Today, the transformation from that past life to one of peace and beauty is a story of success.

The History of the Portland Japanese Garden Koi

The introduction of Nishikigoi to the garden traces back to the early 1970s, when leadership at the Portland Japanese Garden, after thoughtful consideration, decided to feature koi as part of its living landscape. The idea began with a generous donation from Mark and Alice Sumida, residents of Woodburn, Oregon, who raised koi of their own.

The Sumida's story reaches back to the dark days of World War II when Japanese American's faced relocation to internment camps. In Portland, the Sumida family was visited by FBI agents, questioned, and instructed not to travel. Weeks later, they learned they would not be sent to the type of internment camps that many Japanese Americans faced — a small mercy granted because of their experience as farmers. Instead, the government relocated them to Nyssa, Oregon, under cover of night, where they worked on a beet farm alongside other displaced Japanese Americans.

Japanese Americans work in Sugar beet fields during WWII internment . — **Japanese-Americans work in sugar beet fields** Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division LC-USF34-073650-D

When the war ended, a nephew who had joined them decided to marry and return to Portland. Mr. Sumida, unwilling to remain idle, told his wife, “Well, I can’t just sit around doing nothing.” Recognizing that few Americans knew anything about koi, he arranged for a shipment of Nishikigoi from Japan by air — a rare and daring idea for its time.

In Woodburn, he found a small farm with unused ponds perfectly suited to his new venture. Late one night, the phone rang: the airline had called to say the koi had arrived — alive and well. Flashlight in hand, the Sumidas drove to receive them. Under the quiet of the Oregon night, they gently released the fish into their new home. Kohaku, Sanke, Gold, Silver, and a blue Nishikigoi, as Mrs. Sumida later described, became the first living symbols of a bridge between two cultures.

The couple ran their koi farm with devotion until Mr. Sumida suffered a stroke and fell ill. Unable to continue alone, Mrs. Sumida eventually sold the property. But their gift — the koi they raised and shared — would go on to shape the identity of the Portland Japanese Garden for decades to come.

Challenges Come to the Portland Japanese Garden Koi Pond

In the early 2000s, the koi pond became a victim of harsh winter storms and viruses affecting the Nishikigoi health, circumstances beyond anyone’s control. CEO at the time, Steve Bloom and then Garden Curator Sadafumi Uchiyama began a program of renovations with improvements to eliminate future risks for their "Living Jewels."

The Portland Japanese Garden team installed new filtration systems, as well as deepened the pond opposite Heavenly Falls, creating a place for koi to winter during cold weather. (In cold weather Koi enter a phase of Torpor, similar to hibernation. Nishikigoi metabolism slows dramatically while the fish become almost motionless, conserving energy.) The zig-zag bridge was replaced with a new foundation added, along with attention to cracks in the concrete of the pond structure.

Improvements to the pond and water quality weren’t enough for the detail oriented leadership team at Portland Japanese Garden. Proper quarantine tanks and healthcare facilities were also funded and added nearby but out of sight. Following the renovations to their facilities, fundraising began to replace the Nishikigoi.

Today, the sum of efforts by the Portland Japanese Garden to better the koi experience has resulted in a state-of-the-art facility for Nishikigoi health and wellness.

Photos Above: Pump house for the Strolling Pond Garden, Indoor Koi Management Center

Present-day Garden Curator Hugo Torii oversees all of the garden operations with help managing the Nishikigoi coming from local expert Lynda Montgomery.

The total number of Nishikigoi now at the Portland Japanese Garden is 50, plus or minus. When I visited ten were in indoor ponds. Koi Classifications listed below were provided by the Portland Japanese Garden.

Nishikigoi Types at the Portland Japanese Garden

Ai Goromo Ginrin Shiro Utsuri Nezu Ogon

Aka Bekko Goshiki Platinum Ogon

Asagi Heisei Nishiki Sanke

Budo Goromo Hi Utsuri Shiro Utsuri

Doitsu Hariwake Karasu Showa

Doitsu Ki Matsuba Ki-Utsuri Soragoi

Doitsu Ochiba Kin Showa Yamabuki-Ogon

Doitsu Soragoi Kogane Ochiba

Ginrin Kohaku Kujaku

Ginrin Ochiba Longfin Kokuryu

A Reflection of Japanese History in America

The koi pond’s history is not merely a story about fish; it’s a story of resilience and cultural preservation. It tells of a young Japanese American couple born in the United States, swept into a war they did not choose, yet determined to contribute something beautiful and lasting to their country.

Through Nishikigoi — the “living jewels” of Japan — the Sumidas shared a quiet expression of peace, artistry, and cultural pride. In doing so, they helped lay the foundation for what the Portland Japanese Garden koi pond represents today: a living reminder of harmony between two nations.

Sharing Japanese Culture Continues at the Portland Japanese Garden

Given the origins of the koi pond, it’s fitting that the Portland Japanese Garden has become a leader in Japanese–American cultural diplomacy. Just look to their establishment of the Japan Institute.

— Portland Japanese Garden Website

“Japan Institute was established in 2020 as a global cultural initiative of Portland Japanese Garden. This sibling organization allows us to share and expand on the programs of Portland Japanese Garden more broadly around the world, deepen international partnerships, and continue to engage diverse people through shared experiences and conversations about peace, beauty, and connection with nature. Japan Institute and Portland Japanese Garden share a vision — to be a leading global voice for cultural understanding, in pursuit of a more peaceful, sustainable world.”

Experience Portland Japanese Garden

For koi enthusiasts, the Portland Japanese Garden koi pond is reason enough to visit. The range of varieties and colors offers a glimpse into the art and patience of generations of breeders in Japan. Yet, Nishikigoi are only part of the experience.

The garden’s themselves, cultural exchange programs, volunteer opportunities, and quiet spaces for meditation make it a place of renewal — one that calls you back.

Koi Waters Online Magazine extends its gratitude to the entire team at the Portland Japanese Garden for the opportunity to visit, photograph, and learn from your remarkable work in preserving and sharing Japanese culture.