About Shofuso
Designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura, Shofuso was built in Japan in 1953 using traditional techniques and materials. It was shipped to New York and exhibited in the courtyard of the Museum of Modern Art in New York before moving to West Fairmount Park in 1958. In 2007, international artist Hiroshi Senju, inspired by the garden’s waterfall, donated 20 contemporary murals to Shofuso, which are permanently displayed inside the house. This historic site and museum includes a hill and pond garden with a tiered waterfall, island, and koi fish, a tea garden featuring a traditional tea house, and a courtyard garden leading to a bathhouse.
Shofuso Now Open
Spend some time outdoors in a socially distanced setting, where we will limit visitor capacity so all can enjoy the beauty of the pond, gardens, and Japanese house. Shofuso opened the garden for visitation last week and makes the house accessible as well on July 3 so guests can experience shade and cool breezes in our open-air architecture.
Shofuso is open on Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Following guidance from the CDC and the City of Philadelphia, we have adopted the following policies:
- All visitors age 3 and over must wear a mask.
- Visitor capacity will be limited. Tickets are first come, first served.
- There will be hand sanitizing stations throughout the grounds.
- At the entrance, six-foot markers will allow people to wait in line safely.
Notice of Cancellation by Japan American Society of Greater Philadelphia of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival (April 4 and 5, 2020)
In consultation with our sponsor Subaru and in keeping with the CDC’s and the City of Philadelphia’s guidelines for public gatherings, we have decided to cancel the 2020 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival as a measure of caution for our supporters. We are sorry to disappoint so many attendees, performers, and vendors, but we take our responsibility for protecting our public very seriously. We hope you will experience next year’s festival with us, which we plan on making bigger and better than ever.
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center will open on March 21 as planned, and our exciting JapanPhilly2020 programming, performances, and exhibitions remain scheduled beginning in June. The Cherry Blossom 10K/5K will be rescheduled to a later date, and we look forward to seeing you there.
When you visit Shofuso or run in the Cherry Blossom 10K/5K, you will see additional cleaning to ensure that extra steps are taken to sanitize our locations. You may also see our employees wearing gloves and continually wiping down work and visitor areas. In addition, we have asked our employees to stay home if they are experiencing a fever, cough, or shortness of breath. All these precautions will help prevent the spread of illness to visitors and participants as well as JASGP staff.
We will continue to monitor the developments and will provide additional updates on our website www.japanphilly.org as well as our social media channels as needed. We hope to see you at Shofuso this season.
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
Celebrating Japanese culture throughout the region, the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival is a collection of more than a dozen events. From sushi-making classes to taiko performances, martial arts demonstrations to Japanese board games, the festival has something for everyone.
In 2020, the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival will begin with a weekend celebration at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center. Shofuso Sakura Matsuri, an expanded version of the festival’s beloved Sakura Sunday, will feature two days of live performances, arts & crafts, tea, fashion, flower arranging and much more. Join us on Saturday, April 4th and Sunday, April 5th. The Cherry Blossom 10K and 5K Race will be held on the following Saturday, April 11th.
A full event listing along with a festival brochure will be available in February 2020.
The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival is going green thanks to Subaru of America, Inc.’s partnership with Terracycle. Terracycle recycles single-use disposable products such as cups and lids, candy and snack wrappers, creamer capsules, and more. To find out more about Terracycle and Subaru of America, Inc.’s initiative to go green, click here.
JapanPhilly2020 connects Philadelphia to Japan with a year of art, business, and culture.
The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia presents JapanPhilly2020 to connect Philadelphia and Japan with a dynamic series of Japanese art, business, and cultural activities in 2020, which includes new and expanded programs as well as partnerships with numerous other institutions for exhibitions, performances, and more that will capture audiences from the Mid-Atlantic region and around the country.
Along with our Obon Festival, the highlight of JapanPhilly2020 will be Shofuso and Modernism: Mid-Century Collaboration Between Japan and Philadelphia, an exhibition at Shofuso showcasing the cross-country friendship between Shofuso’s architect and designers from the Philadelphia region. We will also host the National Association of Japan America Societies Annual Conference and the 12th International Symposium of America-Japan Societies, both of which are hosted this year by JASGP here in Philadelphia.
We are excited to partner with other local institutions for events and programs throughout the year, such as: the Rosenbach, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Independence Seaport Museum, Nakashima Woodworkers Studio, the Philadelphia International Airport, Raymond Farm Center for Living Arts & Design, the University of Pennsylvania, The Pocantico Center, and others.
Stay tuned throughout the year for more information.
