One Of The Largest Japanese Gardens Outside Of Japan Is A Beautifully Impressive Hawaiian Gem

Liliʻuokalani Gardens are a little bit of Japan on the Big Island of Hawaii. Located in the underrated, affordable vacation destination of Hilo, right in the heart of the historic downtown, the gardens are named after the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, the much-loved Queen Liliʻuokalani. The nearly 25-acre gardens were built in 1917 and dedicated to the Hawaiian Islands' Japanese labor force, the first Japanese immigrants who journeyed to the island to harvest sugar cane. Today, you might see some of their descendants in the gardens along with other members of the diverse Hawaiian melting pot, out in the park for a jog, having a picnic, doing Tai Chi, or holding a wedding ceremony. Tourists who discover this park find it a breath of fresh air and an oasis of calm, a welcome respite from the often frenetic pace of sightseeing. It's no surprise it won a 2024 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award.

One of the largest gardens outside of Japan, Liliʻuokalani contains all of the picturesque elements of traditional Japanese garden design: a ceremonial tea house; a contemplative Zen rock garden; ponds swimming with colorful koi fish; stone lanterns and pagodas; mossy slopes; and bright red footbridges. The ravishing ocean views that provide the backdrop may be your only clue that you're still in Hawaii. It's located on Hilo's Banyan Drive, a boulevard lined with the dramatically draped trees that are distinctively Hawaiian. Many were planted by early 20th-century celebrities like Louis Armstrong, Amelia Earhart, and Babe Ruth.

The roots of Japanese garden design date back to the 7th century and the birth of Japanese Buddhism. They evolved in step with the practices of Zen, with spaces designed to aid in meditation and contemplation. Just spend a little time gazing across Lili'uokalani's koi-filled Waihonu Pond from a dainty little pagoda-topped red bridge and see if you slide easily into a meditative state. See how the pathways zig, zag and meander so prettily? That design element isn't just for show, but to keep out evil spirits, who Japanese tradition holds can only travel in a straight line. 

Like another of Hilo's hidden gems, the nearby Wailuku State Park, Liki'uokalani Gardens, is free to the public. Better still, it's open 24 hours, so after you've spent the day indulging your wild side in the best snorkeling the Big Island has to offer, you can unwind with a midnight stroll, when the sight of the moon rising over the swooping eaves of a pagoda looks like an inky Japanese watercolor.

Japan and Hawaii have long had a special affinity — you might be surprised to learn that more than 20% of Hawaiians claim Japanese ancestry, according to a report by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism for the State of Hawaii. Here in the gardens, the combination of Japanese design and the Hawaiian climate makes for a particularly lush and verdant landscape. The tree canopy here, where native species of banyan, palm, and monkeypod create shady nooks and grottos, really plays into the Japanese tradition of little views to be discovered around every corner. The traditional Japanese bamboo and mosses are so supercharged by the rains here that they're almost a neon green. Carpet-like lawns invite you to sprawl in the sun for a nap, a daydream, or best of all, according to Tripadvisor visitors, a picnic. 

Some of the best examples of Hawaiian-Japanese fusion are culinary. If you've never tried Spam musubi, a quintessentially Japanese-Hawaiian nigiri sushi bite with seaweed wrapped around rice and sliced, glazed, grilled Spam, pick some up from the Kawamoto store. It's a tiny hole-in-the-wall shop that's been a Hilo institution since 1947. The fusion sushi is perfectly portable for picnicking in the park. After a lazy lunch in Liki'uokalani Gardens, cross a footbridge to adjoining Coconut Island (pictured above), a spot with a picturesque mix of rocky shores and sandy beaches, where you are likely to spot a few sea turtles. Welcome to your moment of Zen, Hawaiian style.