This study investigated the perceptions of Japanese garden curators regarding visitor demographics, public education, and visitor affinity across North America, aiming to fill a significant gap in understanding and providing insights for enhancing public engagement and appreciation of these cultural spaces. Research Focus: The study addressed four main research questions: 1) What are the demographic characteristics of visitors to public Japanese gardens in North America? 2) What are the perceptions of Japanese garden curators regarding visitor affinity, under represented audiences, and the unrealized potential of disaffected audiences? 3) How do curators perceive the educational experiences provided by Japanese gardens and their impact on visitor affinity? 4) What is the extent of past visitor research among participating gardens, and their overall willingness to engage further in visitor study research? Methodological Framework: An explanatory sequential mixed-method approach was employed, involving a questionnaire to be followed by in-depth interviews with selected curators. The questionnaire, completed by 30 Japanese gardens representatives, gathered quantitative data on visitor demographics and qualitative insights into curator perceptions. Statistical analysis and emergent theme analysis were utilized to interpret the data. Key Findings: 1. Visitor Demographics: Adults aged 25 to 60 and seniors aged 60+ constitute the largest visitor groups, together accounting for 65% of all visitors. Couples and family groups are the most common visitor groups, representing 64% of all visits. Female visitors outnumber males, comprising 55% of visitors, and are an over represented demographic by gender. School groups constitute 9% of garden visitors, with high school students being the most frequent attendees. Local visitor demographics are three times that of tourist demographics. First-time and repeat demographics were nearly equal visitor groupings. Novice visitors are four times that of expert visitor demographics. 2. Visitor Affinity and Disaffected Visitorship: Seniors and adults were perceived to have the highest affinity with Japanese gardens, while teenagers and younger audiences were viewed as having lower affinity. The majority of curators, but not all, expressed professional satisfaction with the levels of visitor affinity. Strategies to enhance affinity focus on programming, events, partnerships, and marketing to attract underserved audiences. Teenagers were identified as the most under-represented or underserved group, followed by upper high school groups. Staff interactions that make visitors feel special and valued and creating events that were memorable were regarded as key to improving visitor affinity. 3. Importance to Visitor Experience: Access to interpretive maps/pamphlets and education programs for school groups were rated as the most important kinds of enhancements of visitor experience. Significant differences were detected by garden attendance, with larger attendance gardens placing more importance on certain aspects. 70% of gardens confirmed offering public education programs, with 72% expressing satisfaction with their current programs. 4. Past Visitor Research: Only 10 out of 30 surveyed gardens reported having completed past studies on visitor demographics and/or experience. Among those, compliance mandates and better understanding of audience were primary motivations for conducting research. However, the scope of these studies appears limited. 50% of curators expressed a willingness to continue participating in further research efforts. Implications: The study provides valuable insights into visitor demographics, public education, and visitor affinity in Japanese gardens, highlighting opportunities for enhancing public engagement and appreciation. Strategies focusing on programming, events, partnerships, and targeted marketing initiatives may help unlock the potential for greater visitor diversity and inclusivity in these cultural spaces. Additionally, there is a need for continued research collaboration to deepen our understanding of visitor experiences and inform management strategies for Japanese gardens across North America.
David P. Anderson (Fri,) studied this question.