The Japanese Tea Gardens in Golden Gate Park

We began our New Year, with a walking tour, given by San Francisco City Guides, of the 5 acre Japanese Tea Garden, located inside Golden Gate Park. The tour was about an hour long, and has definitely made my ‘must do’ list, for visitors (and natives) to our beautiful City by the Bay. It is the oldest Japanese Tea Garden in the United States. The SF City Guide tours are FREE and are offered every day of the year, (rain or shine!)

The story goes a bit like this; a group of San Francisco business people had attended the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893, and loved it so much, that they wanted to have such a fair in San Francisco. They contracted trains and invited many exhibitors and exhibits to be a part of the California Midwinter International Exposition, which took place in 1894. Although there were many exhibits, today only two remain; the DeYoung Museum and the Japanese Tea Gardens.

At the end of the 1894 World’s Fair, Makoto Hagiwara asked Golden Gate Park Godfather, John McLaren, if he could convert the exhibit into a permanent garden. The Hagiwara family oversaw the growth, caretaking and development of the tea gardens until 1942, when our all too often forgotten history, takes a decidedly dark turn. As we know, 1942 saw World War II and Executive Order 9066, which relocated any person of Japanese descent or ancestry, to internment (or concentration) camps. The garden was renamed the Oriental Tea Garden and fell into disrepair, with many items being dismantled altogether. It wasn’t until 1952, that the original name was reinstated. (Please note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive history, but rather a small context.)

This is The Drum or Moon Bridge in the Gardens. It is called a Moon Bridge, because when the moon is out, it reflects in such a way that it looks like a full moon.

The Pagoda, which is a very iconic and heavily photographed item in the Gardens, is in need of some love. It is in a state of disrepair, as there is no money to restore it at the moment. It has stood here for 99 years–(since 1915). We could all look this good at 100! It stands five stories tall. Pagodas hold a special place in Far East culture, as they serve as Buddhist shrines. The nine rings on this particular example symbolize the different heavens of the gods.

This is the Peace Lantern. Although WWII had ended in 1945, a peace treaty was not signed until 1951. It was signed in San Francisco. The lantern was a gift from Japanese school children as a symbol of friendship to the United States and the light of everlasting peace between our countries. It is cited on the plaque (and repeated on the internet), that the lantern weighs 9,000 lbs. According to our guide, a decimal point was missed. The actual weight is far less than that.

Here is a ‘dry garden‘, which is often referred to as a ‘Zen Garden‘, which it is not; the difference being that a Zen Garden has a shrine/temple accompanying it. Still a beautiful and meditative space. The gravel is raked into rows to resemble waves.

There are many beautiful plants, trees and shrubs throughout–each with their own story and significance.

One of my favorite features, and again a very recognizable one, is the bronze Buddha, which was presented in the garden in 1949. It stayed in storage for five years. Why? In San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Commission has to approve the placement of every piece of public art. After lengthy discussion, a position for the Buddha was agreed upon; however, during this time, there was an election; a new Mayor and a new Art Commission. The new Art Commission didn’t like the decision of the old art commission and the bureaucracy started anew. Fumble on…and at last we got our beautiful Buddha.

#sanfrancisco