Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden
9 Ave S & Mayor Magrath Dr T1J 3Z6 Lethbridge, AB, Canada

Now is your chance to create your own Winter Light Festival at home! Dekra Lite, our Official Light Sponsor, is giving away a $250 gift card! This is where we get our beautiful light spheres and dripping icicles that all our guests rave about. Send a photo of a Dekra Lite display (hint: from our Winter Light Festival!) to [email protected] for your chance to win! If you don't have a photo to submit, you'll have to come visit Nikka Yuko before January 30 to snap one!

Now that the winds have settled and the weather is tamer, why not get out of the house and join us for a quiet night under the lights? Our January nights are typically much quieter than December and are perfect for those looking to avoid crowds while still enjoying an activity with their family! We are sold out for 6:30PM tonight, but still have tickets available for our later times tonight and for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend! All guests must wear masks while visiting the garden, attend in their household cohorts only, and must purchase their tickets in advance. Get yours now at: www.nikkayuko.com/tickets

*Wind Update* Due to the power outages and wind storm that have affected the garden today, the Winter Light Festival will be closed tonight. All those who purchased tickets have been contacted to move their tickets to another date. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we hope you join us on another day when the weather is more cooperative. We want you to be blown away by the lights, but not blown to the next city! ... There is still plenty of space on our upcoming nights this weekend! Purchase your tickets online at www.nikkayuko.com/tickets

Happy Seijin No Hi! If you turned or will turn 20 between April 2020 and April 2021 you can celebrate this Coming of Age Day in Japan! This important rite of passage for young people is also a visual spectacle of elaborate clothing, hairstyles, and makeup. Much like a high school graduation or prom in North America, this ceremony is an opportunity to wear beautiful elegant clothes.... Women wear a furisode [swinging sleeves], a style of kimono distinguishable by its long sleeves that can range in length from 85 to 114cm. This is the most formal style of kimono worn by young, unmarried women in Japan and is made of very fine, brightly coloured silk. Many women rent their furisode for their Coming of Age as they can cost up to 1,000,000 yen or more than $12,000CAD. Men often wear a traditional dark kimono with hakama, a type of traditional Japanese trousers. However, in recent years, more young men have begun to wear formal Western clothing such as a suit and tie.

Want to win tickets to the Winter Light Festival? Let's start the weekend off with a contest! Dekra Lite, our Official Light Sponsor of the Winter Light Festival, has some passes to give away. It's thanks to Dekra Lite that we are able to adorn Nikka Yuko in thousands and thousands of lights each year...but how many lights are there exactly? Comment below with your guess for a chance to win tickets to the Winter Light Festival! ... The person who guesses the closest without going over will win two courtesy passes to attend opening night on December 3 - see the lights before anyone else! 10 runner up winners will be selected to receive two tickets each that can be used for any open public night during the Winter Light Festival (December 3 to January 30). We'll give you one hint only: Last year we had 116,106 lights and this year we have ~a lot more~ that are brightening up the garden. How many more is up to you to decide. Guess wisely and don't go over! Winners will be announced on December 1! Good luck!

15 Days Until the Winter Light Festival! We're two weeks away from the opening night of the Winter Light Festival! Today's Sneak Peek is brought to you by Today's Country 95-5 & B-93 who are our Friendship Maple & Bell sponsors! Every time you ring the bell at Nikka Yuko it sends goodwill and friendship to all who hear it. We're grateful for our friends at both radio stations who have provided us with advertising to spread the word of the Winter Light Festival each year! We are not selling tickets at the gate this year, so make sure to get yours now so you can experience the friendship with us this season! www.nikkayuko.com/tickets.

Did you start growing indoor plants this year? Maybe you're looking to get into houseplants to keep yourself occupied over the winter months. Garden friend and supporter, Lyndon Penner, is once again hosting an online course through the University of Saskatchewan. Learn about the best types of plants to grow indoors in this class on Tuesday, November 24. Classes are only $20. Register now: https://agbio.usask.ca/events/2020/11/houseplants.php

13 Days until the Winter Light Festival! Get your cameras, toques, and mittens ready! The Winter Light Festival opens on December 3, but we're posting Sneak Peeks in honour of each of our incredible sponsors. Today's Sneak Peek is brought to you by Stringam LLP and Dorren Electric who are Pieces of the Garden sponsors. We're so grateful for the support from all our community businesses and organizations! Don't get left out of the excitement this season and make sure you have your tickets before you arrive as there will be none sold at the gates for walk-in traffic. Get yours now at www.nikkayuko.com/tickets or call us at 403-328-3511 to purchase over the phone.

16 DAYS! Today's Sneak Peek is brought to you by the Lethbridge Herald. The Lethbridge Herald has been a longtime supporter of Nikka Yuko and we are grateful for their continued sponsorship. The Herald is our Azumaya sponsor, which is the gazebo-like structure inside the garden. Azumaya translates roughly to "resting place" and is a great place to take a break as you're travelling through the garden as it provides a beautiful view of the landscape. If you haven't got your tickets yet, you need to purchase them in advance as we will not be selling any at the gate. Get yours now at www.nikkayuko.com/tickets.

14 Days Until Opening! Who is ready to make some fresh footprints along the pathways of the garden? Today's Sneak Peek of the garden is brought to you by our sponsor Warwick Printing Co. Warwick is one of our Pieces of the Garden sponsors and prints our brochures for both our summer and winter seasons. Be sure to read through your brochure this season to learn more about Japanese winter traditions and the various holidays celebrated in Japan during the winter months. Guests must purchase their tickets in advance in order to attend the Winter Light Festival this season. Make sure to get yours now at www.nikkayuko.com/tickets or give us a call at 403-328-3511.

Covid has certainly put a damper on events this year, especially around the holiday season. If you're still looking for a safe, outdoor space to host your friends, family, school/social groups, staff, or clients consider a private night at Nikka Yuko! We have three different options for your event and can accommodate up to 200 people outdoors. This is less than 50% of the garden's capacity and with 4 acres of garden there is plenty of room to stay distanced. Choose to add on horse & wagon rides or a limo bus tour of city lights. Outside catering can be accommodated as well. Nikka Yuko is booked for private events until December 26 and we are now booking into January so call us today to save your spot (403-328-3511) or find more information on our website: https://nikkayuko.com/detail.asp?ID=110&CatID=5

Today is your last chance to view a Tea Ceremony Presentation at the garden for the season! Listen to our volunteer, Sheila McHugh as she describes the history and significance behind this traditional Japanese ceremony. Sheila will be presenting at 1PM in the garden today, this presentation is included with your admission to the garden!

17 DAYS TIL OPENING! We're counting down the days until the opening of the 5th annual Winter Light Festival at Nikka Yuko by honouring one fantastic sponsor a day with a Sneak Peek at the lights! Today we're doing a shoutout to CJOC 94.1 FM & 98.1 2day FM, who are our Mount Fuji sponsors! Thanks to this sponsorship we are able to promote our festival to radio listeners throughout the city so a big thank you to both stations for their support!... If you haven't purchased your tickets already, you must get them in advance as there will be no tickets available at the gate. Get yours now at: www.nikkayuko.com/tickets.

Today is the final day of yoga at Nikka Yuko! Thank you to everyone who has come out each week to do yoga inside the garden. A big thank you to the THE CANADIAN YOGA INSTITUTE for partnering with us again this season to offer a wonderful selection of classes for our guests to enjoy! Yoga is $15.75 for drop ins or $25 with a yoga mat rental, bottled water, and courtesy pass to Nikka Yuko. Find out more: www.nikkayuko.com/Yoga

A big thanks to Spiritual Travels for featuring Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden in their recent visit to Lethbridge! How many of these places have you visited? What is your favourite spot in Lethbridge?

Only two more chances to catch a performance by Hibikiya this season! Listen to the sounds of taiko drumming this Sunday, September 27 at 1PM or October 4 at 1PM. Taiko performances are included with your admission to Nikka Yuko. The garden closes to the public on October 4 so make sure to visit us before the gates close!

Enjoy Cleo Mowers Happy Hours every Friday from 4-7PM, only two more left before we close for the season! Try Japanese beer or sake while watching the Minyo dancers perform at 5:30PM and take advantage of our Yugata [Evening] pricing. Only $7 for admission after 5PM!

This beautiful painting was done by local artist, Susie Thursby who was inspired by her visits to Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. We love seeing the beautiful art created by our visitors! Thank you Susie for sharing! To see more of her work visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Susies-Creations-1386577031431188

Don't miss our last meditation classes for the season with Meditation with Aaron at Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden this weekend! Join a Sound Meditation class on Saturday morning or a Mantra Meditation on Sunday morning, both at 9:30AM. Classes are $30/person and include a bottled water and green tea. Participants must register in advance. Find out more: https://www.nikkayuko.com/Meditation

Join us for a tea ceremony presentation today at 1PM! This presentation by one of our volunteers, Sheila McHugh, who trained in Japan, is included with your admission to the garden. Learn about the history of this traditional ceremony and its significance in Japanese culture. There will be only one more free presentation this season on October 1 at 1PM! There are still two more days to book an Ochakai package if you'd like an intimate ceremony that allows you to sample our matcha tea and Japanese sweets. Ochakai is available September 25 & October 2 at 3PM. www.nikkayuko.com/tickets

We're getting lots of inquiries about the status of the fall colours here at the garden. This photo was taken this morning. As you can see, the colours are just beginning to change on our maples. In another week or so we should start to see a lot more red and gold throughout Nikka Yuko! We close for the season on October 4 so be sure to stop by to see the garden in all its autumn beauty before the season is over!

Enjoy the talents of the Lethbridge Community Taiko Association - LCTA today at 1PM! We're please to have our taiko drummers performing again inside the garden. Performances are included with your admission to Nikka Yuko!

Our Anime Movie night on September 19 is SOLD OUT! There will not be tickets available at the gate. We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening. Please bring your lawn chairs and blankets as there will be limited seating available. A cash bar will be open for those 18+ who would like to enjoy Japanese beer or sake while watching Toward the Terra. Gates open at 7:30PM!

Did you enjoy a picnic in the garden this season? This new experience was a big hit with our guests over the summer! Our Yagai [Outdoor] Picnic experience is now over for the season as the cooler weather begins to set in, but we will be offering it again next year for those looking for the best outdoor dining spot around! Thank you to Mocha Cabana for putting together more than 100 picnic baskets for our guests this summer featuring local Southern Alberta producers such as Broek Pork Acres, Broxburn Vegetables & Cafe, Phoenix Haskaps, and Grainworks!

We were honoured to host our third annual Golden Maple Reception at Nikka Yuko on September 11, 2020. This was the first year we were able to host the entire reception outdoors inside the garden! Next year we will be able to host the reception indoors as the new Nikka Yuko Bunka [Cultural] Centre, of which we broke ground for during the reception, is set to be completed in Fall 2021! We thank Darcy Tamayose for her beautiful presentation on the Okinawan Diaspora and the jour...neys of the kika nisei through the stories of Naoko Shimabukuro. We thank Elder Calvin Williams for the smudging and land blessing and to Reverend Yasuo Izumi for the Calming of the Earth Spirits Ceremony to prepare the land for our new building. Thank you to Mr. Shigenobu Kobayashi, Consul-General of Japan and Chris Spearman, Lethbridge Mayor for attending this historical ceremony along with many other integral members of this exciting new project!

**GARDEN CLOSES AT NOON** In order for our staff to prepare the garden for our Golden Maple Reception tonight, we are closing at 12PM today. We apologize for the inconvenience, but will return to our regular hours (10AM-5PM) on Saturday, September 12!