MAKING OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE!
Jun
26
Touring Portland Japanese Garden
Proof of the garden’s popularity is that I drove around for half an hour before there was even one parking spot to be found. It seems that a large percentage of the visitors are from out of town.
Calvin Tanabe and I met at the ticketing enclosure and gate. What I found stirring is Calvin’s commitment for the sharing of our Japanese Heritage Values for the benefit of our larger American community. We entered the “Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gate”. The “Tanabe Gallery” adjacent to the gift shop provides the community with the year-round opportunity to deepen the visitors understanding of the art and culture of Japan.
We spent four hours sharing stories and reminiscing the path taken to this point in his life. I am humbled to know Calvin who, grew up and graduated with the 117 of us at OHS ’56 from the Eastern Oregon town of Ontario.
After medical school and training as a neurosurgeon he served in Viet Nam. His comments were that he kept himself totally consumed with work, as one of Portland’s top neurosurgeons, until his retirement and is currently enjoying his garden and fresh vegetables.
“Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Address” is a program established in 2014 with Oregon Health & Science and Portland State School of Public Health to offer differing perspectives on important topics related to public health. Each year a speaker is selected to bring diverse ideas to the community and encourage a free exchange of ideas.
The following day I toured the Japanese American Museum of Oregon on Flander Street. We toured the exhibit in the “Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gallery”.
What a privilege to know individuals like Cal and Mayho!
