Esquimalt Japanese Tea House Commemoration Initiative – We Need Your Help

We need your help to have the Township of Esquimalt build a multi-purpose building at Gorge Park that commemorates the Japanese history of that park!  Please complete this online survey  to vote for the multi-purpose building that incorporates Japanese design elements, Building 1.  Below is the architectural rendering of Building 1.  It incorporates modern Japanese architectural design elements.  There is a comparable building in the Japanese Gardens in Portland (see image at the end of this post).

Esquimalt Concept Building 1 (more details available once you complete the survey).

When you complete the online survey you will have an opportunity to see more information about the buildings being proposed and you can even suggest other Japanese design elements that they should consider such as a Zen Garden, bamboo garden or sliding doors and screens.  You could even suggest a room to perform Japanese cultural demonstrations.  The Township of Esquimalt is also going to hold an Open House on September 19 at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre from 6 to 8 pm where you can speak to staff and the architects about the proposed building.  You might like to attend the Open House.  However the key action that needs to be taken is completing the survey by Sep 29.  The more support we show, the greater the probability of the of the Esquimalt council proceeding with the Japanese style building. 

We are very close to achieving our goal to have the Township of Esquimalt erect a multi-purpose building that commemorates the Japanese history of Esquimalt’s Gorge Park.  Let us not be complacent and let this once in a lifetime opportunity slip through our fingers.  Complete the survey and recruit others to do the same.  You can forward this infromation to others to vote for the Japanese style multi-purpose building.

Thank you
Tsugio Kurushima
President,
Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society

Japanese Building Design at Portland’s Japanese Garden.