POCATELLO - The idea of a gateway has long been part of local narrative, the "Gate City" nickname commemorating physical explorations of the past. A new garden being built at the Pocatello Regional Airport will soon celebrate the city as a spiritual gateway as well.

The airport now boasts a new gazebo, a centerpiece in the planned Japanese garden which will eventually grace the grounds.

"It is designed to represent a gateway, not only to Idaho but to the rest of the world," said Hugh Suenaga, one of approximately a dozen people involved in the project.

Suenaga, along with other Pocatellans, including the airport's director, David Allen, attorney Jesse Robison and architect Bill Vaughn, have crafted a template for the Japanese garden project.

But don't ask Suenaga to name a completion date for the project.

Suenaga said one element of Eastern thought he hopes the project embraces is that nothing is static, including plans.

"My only hope is . . . it should not be rushed," he said. "Things change. Anybody who's done a Japanese garden understands it's a work in progress."

Suenaga said the winding walkway and the gazebo are but the first phase in many to come. What is certain is that the project will include raked gravel, which is symbolic of the expansive ocean and its waves.

"There is a mindset and passion required in the act of raking," Suenaga said.

Also planned - but subject to change - is a reflecting pond, scotch moss, boulder work and other features common to a Japanese garden. At least three Zen gardens will constitute the entire project.

Suenaga's family will donate heirloom lanterns carved from granite. The various lanterns are 100-150 years old. Also included will be his grandmother millstones.

"It will not only bring the culture, but part of (Japanese) history," he said.

Suenaga is excited and humbled by the project.

"One step in a different direction will reveal something different," he said. "It will be simple but spectacular."

An electronic kiosk is planned near the terminal to explain the meanings of various components of the garden, enabling visitors to embark on self-guided tours.

The garden will strive for a balance of beauty and texture, using rock, water, wood, plant life and perhaps a fish or two.

Suenaga said he is especially excited by the participation of Bill Vaughn, a local architect. Vaughn is a board member of The Friends of Minidoka, a group which engages in education about those Japanese Americans interned in the area during World War II. That project is near to Suenaga's heart, as his parents were interned in Manzanar, Calif.

Suenaga said statuary will also be built, honoring the Japanese legend of Takasago, the eternal couple. The legend speaks of the old woman who uses her broom to sweep away trouble her husband who carries a rake to rake in good fortune.

Suenaga said he is hopeful that members of the Japanese American Citizens League will help in the care of the garden. He also expressed his delight in the dedication of community volunteers.

"I believe there's no limit to the amount of good people can do if they don't care about the credit," he said.

Noting the care that the garden will need, Suenaga offered a Quaker saying.

"Let us see what love will do," he said.