Ro Ho En, the Japanese Friendship Garden, is a hidden three-and-a-half-acre traditional stroll garden tucked behind Margaret T. Hance Park downtown. It was designed and built by craftsmen from Himeji, Phoenix's Japanese sister city, who spent more than a decade working on the koi ponds, lanterns, and the tea house. The result is one of the most genuinely peaceful places in the city.
A path takes you across stepping stones, past waterfalls, and through trimmed pines that screen out the surrounding traffic. Reservations are needed for the formal Saturday tea ceremony in the tea house. The garden closes through the worst of the summer heat — open hours run October through May — so plan accordingly.