The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park has always been one of my favorite spots to relax. I love wandering through the winding pathways, curved bridges, and manicured gardens and ponds that are dotted with flowers at all times of the year, thanks to San Francisco's constant climate. I always end my visit with a stop at the tea house for a pot of green tea and some sesame cookies. Now, however, it turns out a new buyer is making a bid to purchase the garden and turn it from what some consider a tourist trap into a more authentic Japanese traditional experience.
As someone who loves that tourist trap, I was kinda sad to hear this, until I read about what the new buyer would do. Carol Murata, who owns a café in Japantown, has promised to bring a $500,000 grant to improve the weathered garden, as well as to offer "authentic Japanese tea service and pastries, incorporate cultural events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival, sell goods made by Japanese artisans and feature traditional music demonstrations," according to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Hey, sounds awesome. It's true that the current garden serves fortune cookies, which aren't super authentic, and sells some shlock in its gift shop.The current owner, who's Chinese-American, cries racism, and so far city staff have recommended Murata. We'll see what happens!
You can read the whole story here.
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