Cowra japanese Gardens

Cowra's relationship with the Japanese started with the siting of a POW camp during WW11. In the early hours of Aug 5, 1944 over 500 Japanese staged a mass suicidal break for freedom. In the ensuing action 231 Japanese POW and 4 Australian soldiers were killed.
In 1960, the japanese Government were considering the repatriation of their war dead to Japan, however they werwe so impressed with the attitude and respect given to their dead at Cowra that they decided to bring all their war dead from other parts of Australia to be re-buried at Cowra.
The Cowra Tourist Development Corporation conceived the idea of further developing the unique friendship with Japan by the establishment of a Japanese Garden at Cowra. The building of the Garden has come about a direct extension of the cemetary.
In 1971, Mr Ken Nakajima, world famous landscape gardener was appointed as designer of the Garden. In Oct 1979 the Garden became a fulltime tourist attraction, operating 7 days a week (exc. Xmas Day). In 1986 stage two commenced completing the original plans for the Gardens.