The Zig Zag Bridge winds along a pond at the Portland Japanese Gardens in the midst of the blossoming of spring. Portland's Japanese Garden is considered one of the most authentic outside of Japan. It was opened in 1963 and contains five distinct gardens, with a total of two to three thousand plants. The five gardens are: The Flat Garden, The Sand and Stone Garden, the Strolling Pond Garden, The Tea Garden, and the Natural Garden.