Finding your inner peace at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Lawrence, Kan.

June 15, 11:15 PMKansas City Staycations ExaminerEric Rosa

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View from the interior of the Japanese Friendship Garden. Photo by Eric Rosa

Author's note: This is the first of several entries about Lawrence, Kan. As a first article, please know that this writer will be piecing together parts of each trip on a weekly basis to give you a dissected view of his trips as individual components in one trip, rather than reviewing the entire trip in each post.

The first issue with the Japanese Friendship Garden in Lawrence, Kan., is, well, finding it. Don’t let the “park” status fool you – this 90 foot x 92 foot tranquil building is nestled between a community museum and a pizzeria, and drivers will find it difficult to find hiding behind the trees lining the entrance. Despite all that, once you make your way inside, you’ll find a reprieve from western civilization in the midst of one of the busier streets in Kansas.

Featuring a gazebo, a walking path, several trees and flowers, and an attractive array of Japanese décor, the Friendship Garden is a very peaceful getaway, perfect for some solo-time with a good book, or even just to take everything in and get some “me-time.” Enjoy the fifteen foot stone tower brought in directly from Japan and the authentic Far-East feel, but enjoy more the fact that the traffic and hustle-and-bustle sounds of a busy town are almost entirely drowned out by those trees that made it so hard-to-find.

It’s small, so don’t expect to make a day of this little park, but worth a stop when you visit Lawrence (and for a great rundown of Lawrence, check out this piece). After all, the price (free) is right and the great thing about the Garden is the proximity to other great attractions in Lawrence, such as the Watkins Community Museum, the University of Kansas, and several local restaurants and shops on Massachusetts Street.

Opening in 2000, the Friendship Garden is the product of the sister-city relationship Lawrence has with Hiratsuka, Japan. For more on the history of the park, visit the official website at www.lawrenceks.org/lprd/park/friendshipgarden.