Japanese garden

Japanese Friendship Garden

About 0.3 mi walking within Kelley Park

Add a free, quiet Kelley Park walk with current seasonal closing times, garden rules, sister-city history, and a realistic parking plan.

The place

About Japanese Friendship Garden

San Jose's Japanese Friendship Garden is a 6.5-acre municipal garden created as a symbol of friendship with Okayama, Japan. Its layout was patterned after Okayama's Korakuen and uses ponds, bridges, rocks, paths, and plantings to express that relationship.

The garden is free, but hours change by season: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. until the fall daylight-saving change, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. in winter, and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. in spring. The tea house is currently closed for renovation.

Visitors must stay on paved paths, picnic outside the garden, use only designated koi food, and leave bicycles, scooters, skates, and outside animals out of the garden. Adults must accompany children 16 and younger.

Kelley Park collects daily parking fees and spaces are not guaranteed. The short walk from History Park makes the garden a natural same-day pairing, but it remains an outdoor visit affected by heat, smoke, rain, water work, and temporary closures.

What stands out

Read the Okayama connection

The design is patterned after Korakuen and marks the sister-city relationship established in the 1950s.

Follow the ponds and bridges

Use the paved path to experience water, rocks, bridges, and plantings without entering protected landscape areas.

Keep the pairing simple

Walk over from History Park, but leave enough time to return before the last trolley or either site's closing time.

Respect active rehabilitation

The tea house is closed for renovation and water or landscape work can change the experience.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a California Trolley and Railroad Corporation trip

The garden shares Kelley Park with History Park and is roughly a few minutes away on foot, making it the closest substantial complement to the trolley. It adds a quiet, low-cost outdoor interval without pretending to be part of the rail operation.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • AdmissionFree; Kelley Park parking fees still apply
  • Summer hours10 a.m.–7 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day
  • Fall hours10 a.m.–5 p.m., Labor Day to the fall daylight-saving change
  • Winter hours10 a.m.–4 p.m., fall to spring daylight-saving change
  • Spring hours10 a.m.–6 p.m., spring daylight-saving change to Memorial Day
  • Tea houseCurrently closed and under renovation
  • PathsStay on paved paths; surfaces, bridges, and grades should be confirmed for individual mobility needs
  • RulesPicnic outside, no outside animals, adults accompany children 16 and younger, and feed koi only designated food

Add a ticketed family stop

Add Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Use Happy Hollow for animals, children's rides, play spaces, and a longer family half-day across Kelley Park.

View the guide →

Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

Is admission free?

Yes. The garden is free, although daily Kelley Park parking fees apply.

What time does the garden close?

Closing time changes seasonally from 4 to 7 p.m. Check the official city page for the date and any temporary closure.

Is the tea house open?

No. The official current listing says it is closed and under renovation.

Can I picnic inside?

No. Picnic outside the garden and keep food away from the protected landscape and ponds.

Can I bring a dog?

Outside animals are not allowed in the garden. Contact park staff for current trained service-animal guidance.

How does it fit with the trolley?

It is the closest substantial add-on within Kelley Park. Watch both closing times and return before the last published trolley ride.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-15. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.