The Story Behind the Japanese Tea Garden’s Entry Gate
The original entry gate to the Japanese Tea Garden came from George Turner Marsh’s property in Mill Valley and was part of his “Japanese Village” exhibit at the Midwinter Fair of 1894.
Nearly 90 years later, in 1981, San Francisco’s Mayor Diane Feinstein and Osaka’s Mayor Yasushi Oshima began planning for restoration.
The entry gate from George Turner’s Marsh’s property located in Golden Gate Park in 1896.
Today’s gate replaced the original in 1985 and was designed by Kensuke Kawata, a third-generation temple carpenter, who hand-selected the Hinoki trees in Japan. It was made using Japanese joinery techniques which involves a building process where intricate wooden joints hold the structure together as opposed to nails, glue, or other fasteners.
This type of gate is known as shōrōmon, or Bell Tower gate. While there is no bell in the tower in our gate, it is a similar representation of a bell tower gate you might see at a Buddhist temple and bells forms can be seen adorning the walls of the gate.
Next time you visit the Japanese Tea Garden, take a moment at the entrance to admire the Bell Tower gate’s carefully crafted details. If you’re interested in learning more about the Japanese Tea Garden in person, attend a free guided tour with SF City Guides.
