Visiting Japan House
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- Ways to Visit
- Getting to Japan House
Whether you are a student, educator, artist or just a curious person, we invite you to join Japan House's many learning experiences, including tours, cultural events, and of course classes.
Ways to Visit
Join a Tea Ceremony and More!
We offer tea ceremonies, an art form going back hundreds of years in Japan. It is the highly ritualized serving of a bowl of tea and a sweet to honored guests. Registration is required for in-person events.
Stroll the Gardens
Strolling the gardens invites peace and tranquility as you experience the aesthetics of a traditional Japanese environment.
Schedule
Open dawn to dusk. You are always welcome to walk through the gardens on your own. For safety reasons, the tea garden with its rocky path is closed during the winter. Please see our garden etiquette guidelines before visiting.
Guided Tours of the Gardens
Japan House gives guided tours of the gardens, exploring history, design concepts and plant information. Please contact us to make an appointment.
Schedule
Open dawn to dusk. You are always welcome to walk through the gardens on your own. For safety reasons, the tea garden with its rocky path is closed during the winter.
Bring Your Class or Your Organization
We welcome classes and community organizations for tea ceremonies and garden tours for our regularly scheduled times or at other times. Please contact us to make an appointment.
Schedule
Tours and tea ceremonies are available throughout the year by appointment only.
Getting to Japan House
Location + Transportation
Japan House is located in Urbana, Illinois on the campus of the University of Illinois, near the Arboretum and the Vet Med complex, just south of Kirby/Florida Avenue on Lincoln Avenue.
The nearest bus stops are about a 2-3 minute walk from Japan House. For more information on public transportation options, please click here.
Parking
There are e-metered parking spaces in Lot F-31, which is north of Japan House (at St. Mary's Road and Lincoln Avenue) and Lot F-32 to the south of Japan House (on Lincoln Avenue across from the Vet Med complex).
Parking costs $1.25/hour Monday through Friday from 8AM-5PM. Please be sure to park at a meter. If you do not, you may receive a parking ticket. On weekends, parking is free and you may park anywhere in Lot F-31 and F-32. Parking will require downloading one of the apps shown on the meter's sign.
A guide to parking near Japan House can be found here.