Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden: Japanese Garden In Shah Alam With A Reflexology Garden & Maze Pond

Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden in Shah Alam

Gardens and parks are where we go to spend me-time amidst nature, and get away from the humdrum of our daily lives indoors. With many of these spots now even boasting scenic features and photo spots, nature-seekers are spending more time there soaking up sun rays. 

A garden where you can do just that is the Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden in Shah Alam. This Japanese-inspired garden spans 2.42ha – or about the size of 3 football fields – and has 5 scenic zones where those missing out on travelling abroad can now cop a photo for a taste of Japan in Selangor. 

Garden to symbolise ties between Selangor & Japan

Image credit: @fadzwani_amin

Putrajaya is currently home to a friendship garden, the China-Malaysia Friendship Garden – a Chinese-style garden meant to commemorate the diplomatic ties between the 2 countries. Shah Alam, the state capital of Selangor, now has another friendship garden that’s bringing another piece of a country to Malaysia – the Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden. 

This garden – located in Shah Alam Lake Gardens just across Dataran Kemerdekaan – cost over RM3.8 million to build. It is also meant to symbolise the trade and investment ties between Selangor and Japan, and add an attraction to the already-bustling state, as reported by The Star. 

Image credit: Sitelink Landscape Architects.

Scenic zones and features in the Japanese garden

Along with free parking near the entrance of the garden, the garden itself is also free to enter and open to the public from 10AM to 7PM daily. Here, visitors can expect to soak in scenic sights of lush trees and bushes, zen ponds, and several legit Japanese-inspired features. 

For starters, there’s a cosy water fountain located in front of a wall artwork of painted waves reminiscent of Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa painting – considered among the most influential Japanese artworks.

Image credit: @fadzwani_amin

The ponds aren’t to be missed out on either, with several ones to be found here including a koi pond and a maze pond. Expect to see fishes swimming in the ponds set against the backdrops of trees that resemble a Studio Ghibli movie scene, and wander down paths winding through the series of ponds here. 

Image credit: @fadzwani_amin

Other Japanese-inspired features you’ll see here are torii gateways, made up of wooden poles and found typically in temples and gardens, and tsukubai, a traditional washbasin common in Japanese temple grounds. 

Image adapted from: Google Maps

As Japanese gardens are often associated with zen affairs, this Japanese-inspired garden in Selangor is home to a Zen Garden too. This stylised Japanese rock garden feature is made up of rocks, gravel, and a tree, akin to an overgrown bonsai, that’s its centrepiece.  

Image credit: Sitelink Landscape Architects.

A Reflexology Garden is another feature of the Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden, with visitors encouraged to take off their shoes and walk along the garden path lined with stones to massage your feet and get your blood circulation going. 

Image credit: Sitelink Landscape Architects.

The whole park will take you around 30 minutes to explore. But if you’re thinking of taking photos and hanging out for longer, don’t fret, as there are plenty of park benches and picnic tables to grab a seat and rest your legs while you’re exploring.

Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden in Shah Alam

The next time you’re in need of some quiet time in nature – with scenic spots to take in and grab photos of while you’re at it – head to Selangor-Japan Friendship Garden in Shah Alam.

The park offers all the best of typical Japanese gardens, with features that bring pieces of Japan’s culture and sights to us in Malaysia.

Address: Persiaran Bandar Raya, Seksyen 14, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor
Opening hours: Tue – Sun 10AM-7PM (Closed on Mondays)

More cool spots to check out: 

• Largest Starbucks Reserve in M’sia opens in PJ 
• 6 new art murals in Air Itam inspired by local heritage
• Japan’s Arabica to open first branch in KL 

Cover image adapted from: @fadzwani_amin, @nsyanx, Sitelink Landscape Architects. and @fadzwani_amin