Japanese Tea Garden or is It?

Wait a minute...….I thought this was the Japanese Tea Garden.  Well, it is.  In the early 1900's, the Japanese Tea Garden was created to beautify the rock quarry abandoned by the San Antonio Portland Cement Company. It was designed by a Japanese artist named Kimi Eizo Jingu. In fact, the Jingu family lived in and cared for the Garden from 1919 to shortly after 7 Dec 1941 when the anti-Japanese fear hit San Antonio just as it did across the country. The family was moved out and the Chinese style entry was created and the garden was renamed.

It took until 1983 when the garden was renamed the Japanese Tea Garden but the Chinese entrance was retained.

This was our first visit to the Japanese Tea Garden for all of us...….Helen, Morgan, and me. The guys were out on a motorcycle ride.  This is the underside of the pavilion. It was very crowded since it was a beautiful day.

There a number of paths through the garden with lots of rock steps and rough spots but it is beautiful.

A visit to the garden is free. The is a place where you can buy snacks but it definitely is no longer a place to have a Japanese tea. Various events are held throughout the year so keep the garden in mind for a visit.