The Japanese Tea Garden, located in San Francisco, California, is one of the most elegant, peaceful, and historic spots that you will want to visit when you are traveling to the Bay Area.

It is actually the oldest public Japanese Tea Garden in the United States, and was originally in an exhibit within the 1894 Midwinter International Exposition.

You can find them at 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118.  I would recommend setting aside about one to two hours to walk through the whole area. You can either get tickets there in person, or ahead of time online.

https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/

After the exposition left the garden, landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara maintained the area, and then became a caretaker of the property. He was known to have put all of his income and creativity into it, and expanded the gardens to about five acres where he dwelled until 1942 when he and his family were forced into internment camps. At this time, about 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly put into camps.

After World War 2, the Hagiwara family was not allowed to move back to their home, and over the years, many Hagiwara family treasures have been removed and new additions took their place. I think it is important to know the history of a place when you visit, and respect the lives that created it.

According to the direct family members of Makoto Hagiwara, he is said to have introduced fortune cookies to the United States. Apparently, he had a special iron mold to create them on his site, and when they became more popular in the area, he hired the San Francisco confectioner Benkyodo to make these cookies in larger quantities.

He modified them slightly, and created a sweeter version for the States with a vanilla flavoring to them. The gardens do currently have a Tea House on the property where they have Japanese refreshments, and fortune cookies tucked into their bowl of rice crackers or arare. 

If you are in the Bay Area and can visit this historic landmark, I would recommend it! You can truly appreciate the history of the individuals who created it, and what was endured to create it. This would be an excellent choice for a day trip that individuals of all ages would enjoy. 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and remember to click that subscribe button! 

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NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

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