Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois

Last Sunday, I was set to check-in at my resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. However, since that wasn’t until 3 p.m., I wanted something to do before then. Given my route was taking me from Springfield, Illinois to Lake Geneva, I wondered what was of note between those two spots. What came up was one of the most regarded Japanese gardens in North America: the 12-acre Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois.

I arrived shortly after they opened at 9 a.m., and it was the instantly a great choice because of how green, beautiful, and calming everything was, which is what they advertise! Add in a few waterfalls and the pond, and I was in nature heaven, or as I like to think of it, experiencing nature therapy. In addition to those benefits, it’s also culturally significant and intriguing as a place reflecting Japanese culture, customs, and architecture, including featuring a variety of guest houses. For instance, there’s the House of Peace built in the Sukiya style, an architectural style that came into popularity in the 16th century. According to my tour guide map, that style is characterized by “delicate proportions, use of natural materials, integration of interior and exterior space, a sense of quiet elegance, and a lack of ostentation.” That sounds lovely to me!

But it’s not all about reverence and achieving a perfect harmonious balance of nature and life; there’s also intentional comedic sights, like the “Racoon Husband and Wife”, a “pair of whimsical characters placed with comic relief in mind.” Nature is, well, naturally funny, after all.

Much of the area is also structured around presenting a journey to the Tea House, including a water basin for purification purposes and reminders to be the best possible guest you can be before entering the Tea House. On the Tea House, a scroll reads, “Each day is a good day.” Indeed. For the record, you can’t actually enter the tea house or any of the houses, for that matter; they are for show only.

I loved the Garden of Reflection Pond, seen in the featured photo of this post. I made sure to buy the food to feed the koi, which I enjoyed doing, seeing them swarm to me, both big and small fish, with their cute little mouths opening for a delightful snack. It was also neat to walk around the pond and through the various bridges (a highlight being the Zig-Zag Bridge, with eight bridges doing what their namesake indicates) and the floating deck.

But of course, my ultimate favorite spots, and a nature feature I’ll seek out whenever I can, were the West and East Waterfalls. The view and the sound is peak nature therapy and catharsis for me. I could spend all day standing/sitting there. Unfortunately, I was on a bit of a time crunch, and could only go around the gardens, and those waterfalls, a couple times.

Finally, as I walked around a few times, I kept wondering: what is that noise?! I thought a kid dropped a water bottle on the rocks or something, but then, it didn’t make sense to keep hearing it. I found the source of it. Wait until the end:

I also wasn’t aware of this when looking into Anderson Japanese Gardens, but they have a delicious indoor restaurant, Fresco at the Gardens, which was fancier than I expected. Great service! Even though it was only 10:30 a.m., I indulged in a refreshing cucumber mule and had a singular lemon and blueberry crepe.

While I needed to get going thereafter, I’m grateful I took the time for a restorative walk through the Anderson Japanese Gardens. If you’re ever in the Rockford, Illinois area, you certainly have to experience the gardens for yourself. And then get that cucumber mule!