The Japanese Friendship Garden is in a section of Kelley Park in San Jose near to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo and the San Jose History Park. The larger area of Kelley Park was once a farm owned by Mrs. Louise Kelley who inherited the land from her father Judge Lawrence Archer, a former mayor of San Jose.
The Japanese Friendship Garden was dedicated in October 1965. It is patterned after Japan's famous Korakuen Garden in Okayama, a sister city of San Jose. It has three main ponds. The ponds are at different elevations in the park, and are inter-connected by streams. This tranquil garden provides visitors a place to sit and reflect on the beauty of nature and a setting for relaxation.
The park is free to visit but has hours that vary. It opens by 10 A.M. each day but closes per the season with 4 P.M. in Winter being the earliest close time. If you want to enter the garden, check the hours as they might change after this cache published. This virtual does not require you to enter the park to complete it but you really should plan to enjoy the garden.
To log this Virtual Cache as a find, you need to do 2 things:
1. Go to the coordinates and locate the metal gates just inside the ornate Japanese entry gate. Message me what animal is on the metal gates.
2. Take a picture of yourself in the general area showing you were there and add it to your log. If you are camera shy, please include a picture of your GPS, or hand or some body part instead (preferably more than just a thumb). DO NOT SHOW THE METAL GATES IN YOUR PICTURE.
You don't need to wait for me to respond. Go ahead and log this after you send your answer. If there is an issue, I will contact you.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.