The Japanese Garden in Jackson Park The Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park is a hidden urban treasure that stands as a symbol of peace and American-Japanese friendship. The story of this garden begins at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, when the Phoenix Pavilion, Japanese Houses, and a small Japanese-style garden were built on Jackson Park’s Wooded Island with the input of the Japanese government for the fair. The temple was restored and a more extensive Japanese garden and tea house were added to the site in the 1930s by the newly formed Chicago Park District. Japanese Houses on Jackson Park's Wooded Island. Postcard published by V.O. Hammon Publishing Co., Chicago. In the midst of World War II, the site was nearly forgotten. In 1946, the pavilion was destroyed by arson. However, the garden was re-established in the 1980s, and in the 1990s the Osaka Gate was added to the garden to commemorate the Osaka-Chicago sister c