The Tojo Memorial Garden, on the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, NY, is a small garden within the Infinity Quad, directly behind the Image Permanence Institute building.
A quiet and secluded location, the garden is a wonderful place in which students often sit and relax. Built in 1975, the garden memorializes Yasuji Tojo, a student who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1964. The garden was established at a time when much of the RIT campus had yet to be built. The idea of a living memorial was established and the garden has been residing at RIT ever since.
Given that this garden is almost 50 years old, it is in remarkably good shape. Several restorations have occurred of the years, but the garden has retained much of its original design with many of the plantings reaching maturity. The layout of the garden creates a sense of this being a hidden place where one can escape from the stresses of the outer world and enjoy the peace and serenity of the secluded location.
The garden has many of the elements one expects to find in a Japanese garden - a small koi pond and waterfall, several lanterns, a cherry tree, intricately placed stone, and a variety of plantings to help create a sense of natural harmony and serenity.
An unexpected discovery for me, the garden was well worth the side trip on a visit to Rochester.
