Although most Japanese Americans living in Texas internment camps returned to their old homes after the war, a few stayed in the state to make new lives for themselves. Others came from elsewhere in the country for much the same reason. The routes these new residents took to the state were often as unique as the individuals themselves.

One man, Isamu Taniguchi, had spent most of the war at the Crystal City Internment Camp with his wife and a son. Following their release in 1945, the family returned to their home in California, but their reception there was so hostile, they decided to pack their belongings and return to Texas. They ended up in the Rio Grande Valley, where they farmed for a number of years.

When it was time for retirement, Isamu and his wife moved to Austin. Not one to equate retirement with inactivity, however, Isamu Taniguchi embarked on a project to design and build a Japanese garden for the people of Texas to enjoy. Today, situated on a hillside next to the Rose Garden in Austin's Zilker Park, Taniguchi's garden stands as a tranquil oasis, beckoning visitors with lily-pad-laden ponds and intricate stone pathways.