The Tatsuno Japanese Garden is located in Te Kuiti at the South end of Rora Street.   This Garden was established in 1998 as a gift to provide a permanent and tangible symbol of the importance of the Sister City relationship between the Waitomo District Community and the Tatsuno Town Council in Japan.

The garden has particular significance and importance with many aspects of the garden having important cultural meaning for Japanese people.  The plants in the garden are a combination of New Zealand native and Japanese plants.  They include Flowering Cherries, Wisteria, Maples, Hostas, Irises, Sacred Bamboo, Astelia, Flax, Bidibidi, Conifers, Azaleas, Camellias, and Helebores.

The structural features in the garden include Torii gate, Tsukabai-moyo (water basin), Azumaya (tea house), Gata – stone lantern called “yuki-mi-dohroh”, Yotsume gaki fence, and Pagoda – “Soh-toh”.