Covering two hectares of land, the park is a welcoming haven of cherry blossom, koi ponds and miniature pagodas. Gently winding walkways take you through the gardens, and strategically placed benches beckon you to sit for a while and appreciate the beautiful landscaped gardens around you.
The brainchild of landscape gardener Baron Makoto Hagiwara, the garden was created as a temporary exhibit for the 1894 World’s Fair held in San Francisco. After the fair closed, Hagiwara expanded it and made it a permanent feature. The tea garden was maintained and cared for by members of Hagiwara’s family right up to the middle of World War II.
At the end of World War II, the Japanese presented the park with the Lantern of Peace, a bronze lantern weighing over 4000 kilogrammes. The garden is filled with water features, and the tranquil Zen Garden is the place to go if you’re searching for a bit of inner peace.
Although a wonderful place to visit year-round, the Japanese Tea Garden is particularly stunning in spring, when the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. And in autumn, the leaves turn glorious shades of red, gold and green.
For the perfect end to your visit, head for the Tea House in the middle of the garden. This is where the first fortune cookie was served in the USA, a tradition that continues in the present day. Between March and January, staff members in kimonos perform tea ceremony demonstrations on Wednesdays and Fridays. The demonstrations are made up of centuries-old rituals that present the powdered green tea called “matcha”.
