San Fran Travelogue

Located in the Golden Gate Park, this five-acre authentic Japanese garden and forest set-back is an experience unlike most anything this side of the Pacific Rim.

The garden was originally a planned showcase for the international exposition of 1894 and soon after came under the care of a Japanese superintendent.  Mr. Hagiwara expanded the grounds to its current

size, lived there with his family and cared for the property until 1942 when, post Pearl Harbor, he, along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans were forced into an internment camp.  Unfortunately for the Hagiwara family, after WWII he was not allowed to return the Tea Garden and many of his

family's belongings were removed permanently.  Today, as a result of the original vision and years of patient care, the Tea Garden is one of the most popular destinations in San Fran.

A virtual living history of outdoor Japanese culture, the garden features what is called a classic arched drum bridge, pagodas, stone lanterns, koi ponds and a Zen Rock Garden.

More than anything, once the visitor walks in through the elaborate wooden gate, you find yourself inside a scene of serenity against the backdrop of a hectic city.  Much of the purpose of a Zen garden is  to highlight the sights and sounds of nature.  The Zen monk might spend a lifetime trying to create the perfectly unified rock garden and that care is then experienced by the visitor.