Harvey Yamagata has spent more than 15 years as president of the , and even more time as a volunteer at the organization鈥檚 events.
But Yamagata can recall a time when he wasn鈥檛 particularly interested in volunteering his time toward the group. His parents, who co-founded the organization in 1985, asked him to help out with the Japanese festivals held at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden each spring and fall.
鈥淚n many Japanese families, like many other ethnic groups, you respect your elders,鈥� Yamagata, a retired business executive, said. 鈥淚 listened to my parents, and so they made me do certain things. In the long run, it鈥檚 been very helpful for me, and so they were right. Not that I was wrong, but when you鈥檙e young, you鈥檝e got other things you want to do.鈥�
Taiko drumming groups, karate experts, bonsai tree enthusiasts, jewelry vendors and food trucks in and around the Japanese Garden, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. The 7.5-acre garden on top of a reclaimed gravel pit that once served as a trash dump for the U.S. Army during World War II.
鈥淚t鈥檚 countless times I hear people who have never come to the garden, except during the festival, say: 鈥楪ee, I鈥檝e never realized how beautiful the Japanese gardens are here,鈥欌�� Yamagata said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see all this activity. But sometimes you should come here 鈥� when it鈥檚 very quiet and you can actually think and contemplate.鈥�
Botanic garden officials have invested time and money into 鈥渋mproving the authenticity鈥� of the garden, said John Powell, a Japanese garden builder who restored a teahouse structure sitting at the edge of a pond. Nick Estus, the horticultural manager of the Japanese Garden, calls it an 鈥渆merald for the city,鈥� providing green space in the heart of the Cultural District.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to evoke natural imagery and scenery,鈥� Estus said. 鈥淚 grew up in a rural setting, and a big part of it is we鈥檙e trying to tap into people鈥檚 subconscious with these gardens, and you know, bring back these thoughts and images from childhood. That鈥檚 sort of what it did for me.鈥�
Fort Worth鈥檚 , which will come up for a vote in the May 7 election, includes funding to improve the garden鈥檚 water features and stonework, said Bob Byers, executive vice president of the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.
The popularity of the Japanese festivals fits into the garden鈥檚 larger strategy of growing and diversifying its audience. Byers pointed to upcoming events honoring and African art.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working really hard to represent and recognize, in the garden, all the different cultural traditions that you have here in Fort Worth, which we think is very important,鈥� he said.
Changes in the Fort Worth Japanese Society鈥檚 membership also reflect the city鈥檚 shifting demographics. Back in the 1980s, nearly all of the society鈥檚 members were people of Japanese descent, Yamagata said.
Some were Japanese-Americans brought to the city by business interests, like the Yamagatas. Others married American service members and sought a community that could help them adjust to life in the United States, Yamagata said.
鈥淭hey were seeking friendship where they could let their hair down and speak in Japanese,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese people, unfortunately, are slowly passing away, and so our task, like so many groups like ours, is to try to get new members.鈥�
Today, about one-third of the society鈥檚 300 members are people of Japanese origin while the remaining two-thirds are people interested in Japanese culture, including , Yamagata said.
Through its weekly language classes and monthly luncheons, the society seeks to promote understanding of Japanese traditions and the rich history of Japanese-Americans, he added. The group also supports the exchange of visitors and students from Fort Worth鈥檚 sister city of .
Through the years of work dedicated to the society, Yamagata also found purpose in teaching his children, who are half-Japanese and half-white, to be comfortable in their own skin.
鈥淚 think that being sure that my children are aware of what the Japanese represent and to be proud of it helps to build their own self-esteem so they can be successful in their own lives,鈥� Yamagata said. 鈥淲hat the Japanese Society does is to promote that kind of understanding. That really creates a better community for all people.鈥�
Disclosure: Architect Albert Komatsu, who was involved in designing Fort Worth鈥檚 Japanese Garden, is the father of Sylvia Komatsu, the chief content and diversity officer for 四虎影院 and KXT.
Got a tip? Email Haley Samsel at Haley.Samsel@fortworthreort.org. You can follow Haley on Twitter @Haley_Samsel.
Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter @MirandaRSuarez.
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