Japanese Tea House and Garden

In 2002, Northern Arizona University constructed a Japanese teahouse as part of its Ceramics Complex. Himeji Gardening and Construction Contractors Association designed a traditional Japanese garden to enhance the experience. The university created these in honor of Yukio Yamamoto, a master potter whom the University awarded with an honorary doctorate in 1991. Yamamoto came to NAU from Himeji, Japan, in 1984 to lead workshops for ceramics students and faculty.

The teahouse hosts traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, meetings between students and faculty, and exhibitions of student and faculty work. In 1999, NAU installed one hundred aspen trees and a watering system at the site. The accompanying garden mixes elements of traditional Japanese design with plants native to the Flagstaff area.