T.R. Otsuka

Born in Kōchi, Japan, Otsuka emigrated to the United States in 1897, eventually settling in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife Yoneko around 1905. Soon after, he established a garden design practice, specializing in Japanese style gardens. Otsuka branded himself as a Japanese Garden Constructor, before adopting the title Landscape Architect by 1914. In 1910 Otsuka was engaged to design the Japanese garden at Fabyan Villa (now Fabyan Villa Museum) in Geneva, Illinois, southeast of the residence redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907. Otsuka continued to establish gardens throughout the Mid-West, in Minnesota, Illinois, and Kentucky. In 1916, Otsuka assisted Warren Manning at Stan Hywet (now Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens), designing the extant Japanese garden. Over the next decade, Otsuka continued to practice in the region, while spending the winter months in Florida. Otsuka was commissioned by the Japanese government to design the gardens of the Japanese pavilion at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. After Yoneko passed away in 1937, Otsuka returned to Asia, where he lived until his death.