Japanese Tea Garden: San Francisco, CA
While in San Francisco, the little Airbnb we stayed in was right next to Golden Gate Park so we knew we'd have to set some time aside for exploring. After checking out the park via google maps, we noticed the Japanese Tea Garden and thought it could be a nice place to investigate.
Lucky for us, my lovely friends Mica and Harrison happen to live nearby and so were able to join us for our park adventuring. I can't believe it's been 14 years since I met these two during my first year at UVA! They moved to San Francisco a few years ago for work and really seem to be enjoying their new home. Over the last decade, it seems like all of the people I knew at UVA have slowly migrated to the west coast - mainly to San Francisco but also to Seattle and LA. After spending some time in that neck of the woods, I can certainly see why!
While this meant that I unfortunately wasn't able to see everyone during our super quick visit, it did mean that one of my other favorite couples from UVA, Tina and Ben, were able to join us for a delicious Korean dinner that night. Possibly more shocking than realizing how many years it's been since that first year at university is that it took us this long for Mica and I to go out for Korean together considering it's a favorite topic of discussion. I'm so thankful that I got to meet such interesting and fun people during my time in Charlottesville and that we can pick up right where we left off every time I see them. To commemorate our visit, please enjoy this photo of Matt and Mica on top of the terrifyingly steep Drum Bridge as Harrison contemplates their progress from below.
The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, having been opened in 1894 for the California Midwinter International Exhibition. After the event, the garden was maintained by Makoto Hagiwara, who expanded the original site and created many of the beautiful elements on show today.
Today, the garden provides cultural education to visitors from all over the world. The painstaking care and attention Makoto Hagiwara gave to the garden is still visible in the beautiful scenery, structures and paths.
We were surprised at how large and intricate the gardens are as we made our way around the site. In all, we spent about half an hour there but you could easily stay longer - particularly if you were to grab a bit to eat as well.
Golden Gate Park itself is a beautiful oasis within the city but stepping into the Japanese Tea Garden felt like moving into a new world - it was so quiet and peaceful! So much thought has been put into making this space feel as authentic as possible and it was impressive to see the different types of structures - such as the arched drum bridge, pagodas, stepping stone paths, and a zen garden. We were amazed to see they even had koi in the ponds to complete the experience.
Overall, I think this lovely garden is worth a visit if you're in the area - particularly if you've been walking around the city and need a little urban escape! As extra incentive, if you arrive before 10 am on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays, your entrance is free.
Full Details:
Entrance Fee: $9 non-resident / $6 resident adults, $6 non-resident / $4 seniors (65+) or youths (12 - 17), $2 resident/non-resident children (5-11), children under 4 are free.
Website: www.japaneseteagardensf.com
