Japanese Tea Garden
Published On: Feb 14, 2006

Japanese Tea Garden
 
For those that can't get enough of Japan town, the four acre Japanese Tea Garden may be just what you are looking for to complete your Asian culture experience.

Located near the Asian Art Museum, the meticulously manicured landscape features bonsai trees, soothing waterfalls and carp ponds as well as several Japanese style buildings.

Since 1894 the teahouse has been the focus of the garden as it offers a beautiful spot to sit with a cup of tea as you take in all of the beauty that the area affords. Visitors get to choose between jasmine, green, oolong or iced teas as well as regular soda. Each drink is served with a free bowl of cookies (almond, seed and fortune) and rice crackers.

With such a vast area the Tea Garden gives visitors plenty of room to wander and explore. Guests can check out the stroll gardens that are decorated with miniature scenes of hills and valleys, bridges that cross over lazy streams, waterfalls, and small paths that are arranged with stepping stones. If you explore long enough you may happened across a smaller tea garden complete with its own tea house, stepping stones, water basins and stone lanterns.

In the smaller gardens the design features streams and bridges, ponds and islands. The tea garden as an approach to the tea house was designed to create the illusion of going into the quiet solitude of the countryside.

The 110 year old garden also features three gates built by Japanese craftsmen, each of the gates were built without the use of nails. Looking for a couple more icons of the garden then be sure to hit the Drum Bridge and the Buddhist Pagoda or the Lantern of Peace which was given to the garden in 1953 as a symbol of reconciliation.

Finally, no trip to the garden will be complete without taking a quick photo at the Hagiwara Gate.

Print This Page