ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In September 2007, the ABQ Biopark opened one of its most ambitious projects the Sasebo Japanese Garden. The sprawling four-acre exhibit honors Sasebo Japan, Albuquerque’s sister city, on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.
Designed by Toru Tanaka, the garden draws inspiration from traditional Japanese designs, featuring a waterfall, Koi pond, and plants native to the land of the rising sun.
This year, the River of Lights crew is expanding its light display into the Sasebo Japanese Garden, and much like the original garden construction in 2007, the traditions of Sasebo’s lantern festivals guided the BioPark’s design team.
“So we researched a little bit about the Japanese culture and how they do it, and what they do is clear out a field of bamboo chop it all down, and do all their designs for their holiday, and afterward they crush all the bamboo into mulch and repeat the cycle,” said Joey Trujillo, lead sculptor and designer for River of Lights.
Bamboo Lantern Festival celebrates the cycle of life, death, and rebirth- and features intricate carvings that are remade each year. However importing massive amounts of bamboo to New Mexico proved costly, and the finished product, short-lived.
“But with us, we’re trying to repair cracks in the bamboo because we’re going to use it year after year,” said Trujillo.
So Trujillo started searching for a way to bring the spirit of Sasebo to the Land of Enchantment. With 23 years of experience designing and welding together the 700 displays at River of Lights, it wasn’t long before Joey and his team found the solution.
In addition to reinforcing the imported bamboo, the team is also fabricating Bamboo look-alikes from PVC pipe, using the fake bamboo as both background pieces and backups for future River of Lights displays.
With the shaping complete, Joey and his team begin the intricate process of carving traditional Japanese characters and designs into the poles with a few exceptions.
For months, the team finished over 100 bamboo lanterns, shaping, cutting, and illuminating each one by hand. Other displays, like these panels depicting a traditional Japanese landscape, welcome guests to the Sasebo Japanese Gardens. “All of the pictures there will create one big picture, 10 of those together make one big picture,” said Trujillo.
Placing the displays in the garden is meticulous work, each pole is set in the perfect position to get the best possible symmetry no matter where you stand. And when the lights finally come on, the exhibit is breathtaking.
Bamboo lanterns line the pathways as colored lights illuminate the treetops and waterfall. Each light reflects gracefully off the surface of the Koi pond.
Spanning four acres, the Sasebo Japanese Garden promises unique discoveries around every corner.
