Japanese Tea Garden at the Midwinter International Exposition
The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park has a rich and tumultuous history. Originally created as a "Japanese Village" exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition, it was later transformed into a permanent Japanese-style garden by Makoto Hagiwara.
Hagiwara poured his personal wealth and passion into expanding and perfecting the garden over many years, importing plants, structures, and even koi fish from Japan. However, during World War II, Hagiwara and his family were forcibly sent to an internment camp along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans. The garden was renamed the "Oriental Tea Garden" and many Japanese elements were destroyed.
After the war, the Hagiwara family was not allowed to return, and their possessions were removed from the garden. It wasn't until the 1950s, following the U.S.-Japan peace treaty, that efforts began to restore the garden's Japanese authenticity. The "Japanese Tea Garden" name was reinstated in 1952, and donations like the Lantern of Peace helped reconcile the garden's Japanese heritage.
Despite these efforts, it took until 2009 for the garden's management to be entrusted back to a Japanese family. Today, the 5-acre garden features classic Japanese elements like pagodas, zen gardens, a tea house serving traditional snacks and teas, and the iconic arched drum bridge. The garden endures as one of San Francisco's most beloved attractions.
The California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, also known as the Midwinter Fair, was a World's Fair held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park from January 27 to July 4, 1894.
The idea for the fair was conceived by Michael H. de Young, publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle and California's commissioner to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Despite skepticism that it could be organized in just 8 months, de Young rallied local businessmen to pledge funds and secured participation from many Chicago exhibitors; and construct the 200-acre "Sunset City" fairgrounds in Golden Gate Park.
The Midwinter Fair's architecture embraced more exotic influences like Indian, Egyptian, Moorish, Mission Revival, and Adobe. This eclectic aesthetic lent the fairgrounds a festive, distinctly Californian atmosphere.
Attractions included a 270-foot tall electric tower with a powerful searchlight, replicas of famous California missions, exhibits on mining and agriculture, and displays representing cultures from around the world. Many of the exhibits were transported from the Chicago World's Fair.
The Midwinter Fair was an enormous success, drawing nearly 2.5 million visitors over its 5-month run. Its profits helped establish the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco.
As California's first international exposition, the Midwinter Fair allowed the state to present itself on a global stage. Its novel architectural styles and celebration of diverse cultures foreshadowed California's future image as a unique, cosmopolitan crossroads. The fair's official photographer, Isaiah W. Taber, captured invaluable photographic records that provide most of our visual understanding of this pioneering event.
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