1926
BD Mukai, a Japanese immigrant from Osaka, Japan, and his family, purchased 60 acres to farm and process strawberries.
1928 to 1942
The entrepreneurial Mukai family enjoyed impressive success, with berries shipped all over the country.
1940s
The Fruit Barreling Plant and craftsman bungalow were completed in the late 1920s. But racism and xenophobia caused the family to flee Vashon in 1942 in response to the Japanese Exclusion Act.
TODAY
Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the restored Mukai house and Japanese Garden is beautiful and storied. Mrs. Mukai installed a Japanese Garden around the home, hosting many community events.
VISIT
Come stroll, walk, picnic, tour, attend an event or party. Learn about Vashon’s Japanese American and agricultural heritage at this important island treasure.
Monthly Newsletter
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MFG Monthly Newsletter October
General Information about Mukai Farm & Garden
Would you like to know more about our farm and garden? Download our informational brochure!
Become a Friend of Mukai
Youth for Mukai – $10/year
Individual – $30/year
Family/Friend – $100/year
Supporter – $350/year
Patron – $750/year
As one of the only surviving Japanese farmsteads in the US, the Mukai property has significance extending beyond Vashon Island and the Pacific Northwest. Over the last three years, volunteers and generous funders have restored much of the Mukai home, Japanese garden and pathways to their original pre-war beauty. We’ve come a long way in a few short years. The Mukai Farm & Garden is today a place for peaceful garden contemplations as well as a center for learning and building a multi-cultural community. It is a place for children to practice the Japanese language, for Islanders and visitors to experience the boisterous and joyful sounds of Japanese taiko drumming and for gardeners to marvel at the designs of the stroll garden. It is a place for all visitors and supporters to discuss the timeless importance of this house and family, and for art, for music, for students of history and students of life.
Feature: Kuni’s Garden
Peonies blooming in the North Garden
The Japanese Garden: Designed and installed during the 1930’s by Kuni Mukai, a Japanese immigrant, her “hill garden” features extensive rockwork, plantings and a surrounding pond.
Great progress has been made on the garden over the last two years. We hired a well known Pacific Northwest Landscape Architect Karen Kiest who completed a technical guidance plan for plant selection, rockery, site circulation and hardscape.
In the fall of 2018, the 90-year-old Japanese Garden pond was restored. How? Watch this video!
Landscaping in the North Garden, hill plantings and lawn restoration completed in June, 2019.
Come and see the revived garden!
Related article:
– “Kuni’s garden” – November 13th, 2018
– “A historical garden restoration: Kuni’s Garden” – June 21st, 2019
VCA Garden Tour & Garden Party – June, 2019:
Over 750 visitors toured Mukai Farm & Garden as part of the annual Vashon Center for the Arts Garden Tour, June 22-23, 2019. At the kick-off “GALA” dinner on June 21, Friends of Mukai welcomed 150 guests including the Consul General of Japan, Yoichi Yamada to the property, just as Kuni Mukai shared her garden with the community 90 years ago. Read more: https://mailchi.mp/mukaifarmandgarden/lively-weekend-at-kunis-garden
2019 Vashon Japan Festival Report:
The 2nd annual Japan Festival, a celebration of Japanese culture, was held on Saturday, September 14th at the Mukai Farm & Garden on Vashon. In the spirit of Kuni, who opened her garden to visitors, the Friends of Mukai invited the Vashon community, Japanese Americans and visitors from around the region to celebrate Japanese culture this Festival. Click here to read more.
A Short Movie About Mukai Made by King County:
As part of a series on historic properties in the region, Vaun Raymond, Pam Davis and Brian Starr produced the 4 minute clip. Thanks to King County TV and 4Culture.
Click here to watch.
Events
Our 2020 Supporters
News
Are you looking for something that can warm you this winter? If you tire of eggnog and want a few new drinks...please join us for this fun and engaging class! Right before the holidays, right before we say goodbye to 2020 forever!
mukaifarmandgarden.org/classes/
We are so excited to continue our online classes - up next in December - Winter Warmers with Cheryl Lubbert of Nashi Orchards & Lia Lira of Bramble House. If you've been wondering how to stay warm as you social distance outside this winter, here's a class that expands the possibilities! Thanks to Cheryl and Lia - who are generously donating their instruction fee to an island non-profit. We love it when we can support other non-profits as well as our own programming!
More info here: mukaifarmandgarden.org/classes/
This! What a great way to virtually celebrate!
Bunka no Hi — Japanese Cultural Community Center of Washington Seattle
www.jcccw.org
VIRTUAL BUNKA NO HI バーチャル・文化の日 New videos premiering every Sunday during the month of November 日本語のご案内は下部にあります