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In a city where public attractions measure monthly attendance totals in five and six digits, it is a stark contrast to find one that in brisk times will peak at about 400.
"People still comment, `I didn't know it was there,' " garden coordinator Yvonne Reyes says.
It is the Japanese Garden, a 6 1/2-acre botanical fantasy land on the grounds of the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys.
Owned and operated by the city of Los Angeles, the project was conceived by Donald C. Tillman to demonstrate the feasibility of using reclaimed water in a delicate environment: a Japanese garden.
Since 1984, the garden has not only thrived but has played host to wedding parties, receptions, cocktail and luncheon parties, meetings, birthdays and anniversaries. It has been used in a number of television series and commercials, 10 motion pictures and a variety of still photography shoots. "Entertainment Tonight" has been here; so have "Matlock" and "Star Trek-The Next Generation."
The public is invited to view the Japanese Garden by reservation only, on Tuesdays,...