Japanese Tea Garden - San Francisco, CA - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

Arching over the eastern entrance to the ORIENTAL TEA GARDEN, W. of Music Concourse, is a two-storied ro-mon (gate) carved of hinoki wood, used in Japan before temple entrances. Precipitous, bamboo-railed paths wander through the five-acre garden, over grassy slopes planted with camellias, magnolia trees, cryptomeria, and red-leafed Japanese maples. Between lichen-covered rocks, little streams crossed by small stone bridges descend to a chain of five small pools planted to water iris and stocked with goldfish. Over a still pool curves a "wishing bridge" whose reflection in the water completes a perfect circle. In spring, flowering quince, plum, and cherry trees burst into sprays of blossoms. Here and there grow a hundred or more fantastically gnarled bonsai, misshapen conifers, some a century old but none more than three feet in height (to stunt their growth roots and branches are constantly pruned, and only a minimum of water is allowed.)

In the thatched tea house near the eastern gate, Chinese girls in native costume serve pale green tea and wafer-like cakes to guests sitting at tables made of tree trunks. Along one side of the pavilion, sunlight falls through a lattice arbor burdened with fragrant blossoms of white and lavender wisteria in season. Beyond the tea house is a two story, four room zashiki (house) with wooden walls, sliding panels, and window panes of rice paper. The interior is severely simple. The floors are covered with matting. There is a tokonomo (alcove) for the display of flower arrangements. A huge, red, black, and gold Buddha sits in serene contemplation at the foot of a slope on whose summit is a copper-roofed Shinto shrine. One of the chief attractions of the 1894 exposition (during which it was known as the Japanese Village), the garden is operated by the Park Commission.

Interestingly, when this revised guide was printed the garden's name had been changed to "Oriental Tea Garden" due to WWII. The master gardener and his family were evicted from the garden and taken to an internment camp and Chinese dancers were hired to downplay the Japanese connection. A history of the garden that goes into more detail about these events is copied below and can be found at the Internet Tours Website:

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is the type of Japanese garden known as a wet walking garden, although it has a Zen garden, or dry garden area as well. The Japanese Tea Garden was first developed as the Japanese Village at the 1894 Cali1fornia Midwinter International Exposition, or World's Fair, which was held in the area that is now the Music Concourse. Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States.

John McLaren, who is credited with much of the overall design and development of Golden Gate Park, was approached by Makoto Hagiwara, a wealthy Japanese landscape designer, with the idea of converting the temporary exhibit into a permanent section of the park. Baron Makoto Hagiwara actually constructed the garden, its pavilions and tea house. Designed in a rustic style to address the rugged site and its surroundings, the original Japanese Tea Garden included a large public area and small private area for the Makoto Hagiwara family.

This increased the size of the garden to about five acres, considerably larger than the original one acre exhibit. In addition to the landscaping and construction of several structures, Mr. Hagiwara imported many plants, bronzes, goldfish, rare Japanese birds, statues— including perched and spread winged eagles, a Shinto Shrine, a porcelain lantern, a wooden Buddha and much more.

The Hagiwara family lived in, maintained and enhanced the Japanese Tea Garden from 1895 until 1942 and the beginning of World War II, when they were forced to evict and relocate to concentration camps with other Americans of Japanese descent. The garden was renamed The Oriental Tea Garden, many structures were demolished or moved from their original locations, sculptures disappeared and plants died or were relocated.

While much of the original Japanese Tea Garden is gone, there is plenty to see and enjoy today. The name Japanese Tea Garden was officially reinstated in 1952. A 9000 pound Lantern of Peace, purchased with contributions from the children of Japan, and presented on their behalf as a symbol of friendship toward future generations, was installed in 1953.