1. Experience another country without taking a flight – Transport yourself to Japan by visiting a Japanese garden to see an authentic tea house and hear the distant clunk of a bamboo shishi odoshi, or deer chaser.
2. Being outside is healthy – There's increasing evidence that being outside is the safest way to get out of the house while staying healthy and socially distanced.
3. It will be your most popular Instagram post – With the picturesque bridges, meandering paths, and photogenic Koi fish, it's hard to take a bad photo at a Japanese garden. Your followers will thank you for not posting another photo of your #dinnerathome.
4. Water Under the Bridge – One day we can say that about 2020. But for now, walking over bridges helps the mind and body move forward.
5. Zig Zag Bridges Offer Different Perspectives – Life looks different when you turn a corner and look from another perspective. You might even think of some silver linings from COVID-19.
6. Japanese gardens are designed for every season – So no matter when you go, it's always looking its best.
7. Embracing Wabi Sabi – This Japanese concept of seeing the perfection in the imperfection is especially helpful as we're trying to deal with everything from home schooling to home hair coloring.
8. They're relevant in this age of racial reckoning – Many Japanese gardens, like Portland Japanese Garden, were established in the U.S. after World War II as a way for two cultures to come together on common ground. They promote the importance of an open heart, tolerance, and mutual understanding.

About Portland Japanese Garden:
Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. The Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America. For information on visiting see: japanesegarden.org/reopening.