wandrlust – discover the undiscovered

The moment I found out that there was a “tranquil” Japanese Garden in Van Nuys, I immediately found it suspect. Never thinking much about it I had accidentally drove by the area, realizing it was in a park, and it began to make more sense. So one day, on my bike, I decided to make the 16 mile round trip journey, from my once home of Valley Village, to the Japanese Garden. Pulling up the driveway to the garden things already seemed to be amiss. First off there was a check point and I was waiting in a line, behind two other cars, while what looked to be government “agents” who were inspecting vehicles, going insofar as to check the trunk. I was immediately puzzled by this, why is the Japanese Garden checking their trunk…? As I thought this to myself another guard/agent of the government, convivially waved me by as they thoroughly ransacked a couples trunk, seemingly not interested in the contents of my backpack.

When I pulled up and parked my bike, I wasn’t quite sure where to go. There was no clear entrance that looked garden-esque and I was greeted by this Robocop looking building:

Administration Building didn’t really scream, Japanese Garden but with no other option I went inside. Confused and disoriented I found a fairly disinterested woman who informed me that today was a free day (just my luck as I didn’t plan on paying anyhow) and pointed me in the direction of the garden. What still wasn’t clear is why the fuck was there an administration building for a Japanese Garden? The interior of which was reminiscent of The Westin Bonaventure in Downtown LA (a place which really deserves a write up of it’s own) particularly this pill shaped cement area hanging over the water (shown below) with furniture similar to a more low rent Joe Columbo:

Yet when I finally entered the Japanese Garden, my suspicions went away. Clearly this was peaceful, tranquil place. I mean it is ranked 10th of 300 Japanese Gardens in US by the Journal of Japanese Gardening — a publication I imagine most everyone reading subscribes to. Look at this place, serene as could be:

The water coursing through those rocks, creating a sense of zen and calm, in a city not known for either except for the kind found in a yoga class. Yet these windswept blades of grass and these baby duckies gave me a feeling of a repose only a couple of miles from the 405:

As I strolled through the garden, admiring the various bonsai and foliage, near the end of my lovely tour I found this sign:

Okay… why would it need to be monitored by closed circuit camera? It’s a garden? Right? Are some assholes tagging a Japanese Garden? Plant Process Viewing Tower? I curiously followed in the direction of the arrow which lead me to a staircase up to the “Viewing Tower”. From the tower I had a great vantage point from where I took this photo:

Great, lovely, fine, so it’s not that great of a photo but there is no reason to be rude about it. Then I turned around and was looking down the barrel of an ominous hallway, and at that moment I noticed a profound odor:

As I cautiously walked down the hallway, the odor became more pungent and I started to notice these.. things — things that didn’t look all that different from pens made for cattle at the stockyards. Yet as I got closer and the smell grew more pronounced, a visual epiphany — not far off from those in thrillers when the surprise ending is revealed in a series of flashbacks. All at once it came to me, the camera closing in, every cut bringing me closer, revealing the image and its meaning:

Bubbling cauldrons of poo. Yes the Plant Process they speak of is “treating” all the poo poo and pee pee in the San Fernando Valley here on site at the Japanese Garden, and turning it back into water. Yes the Japanese Garden is a front attempting to cover up the scatological reality. At the end of that ominous hallway (which I don’t know how it was humanly possible for me to make it to the end as the smell was simply the worst thing I have have ever smelled, ever) was a television and a VCR which were off at the time, but when on plays, what I am guessing, videos on the process plant. If you could get someone to stand up there for more than 30 seconds, they deserve the red badge of courage. This aerial photo I took fully represents the scope of the poop factory to that of the Japanese Garden:

More photos of the Japanese Garden and of the Processing Plant can be found in the Gallery.

The Japanese Garden is located at: 6100 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys, CA