German's largest Japanese community is thriving in Dusseldorf

There is a Japanese garden in Dusseldorf’s Nordpark, with a pond full of koi carp.

Ornamental trees and shrubs adorn the grounds of the Eko House of Japanese Culture in the Niederkassel district of Dusseldorf in Germany. Sunlight bathes an arched bridge; a pond is dotted with water lilies.

The surrounding lawns are immaculate, as if meticulously groomed. The curved roofs of a Buddha temple rise above this beautiful, exotic park – in a west-German industrial city.