Sojourn (Digital Magazine)

Words & Photographs by
Teresita Santos
The oldest Japanese tea garden in
the United States is situated in San
Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Just
a short walk south of the De Young
Museum and California Academy of
Sciences, the Japanese Tea Garden
has become a hidden gem within
a gem - a piece of an Asian oasis
in the middle of an urban jungle.
Originally a temporary exhibit as a
“Japanese Village” for an international
exposition in 1894, the garden was made
permanent and housed its creator and
family until World War II. Designed by
landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara,
this particular tea garden contains
authentic pagoda architecture and
plant-life shipped over from Japan. The
Springtime is especially a season to
visit as the cherry blossoms are in full
bloom. Koi-filled ponds are scattered
throughout the property, bright orange
fish just swimming about. Wooden
bridges of all sizes span over the small
man made ponds offering visitors a
fun way to maneuver through the site.
At the centre of the garden sits a
small outdoor Japanese tea house
and restaurant serving traditional teas
and cuisine by its kimino dressed wait
staff. Those that dine there get a 360
view of the Japanese garden all around
them while sitting at their tables.
To learn more about San Francisco’s
Japanese Tea Garden, please
visit their website at http://
japaneseteagardensf.com.