History

For many years a Japanese Garden has been the dream of San Diegans, many of whom recall our original Japanese Teahouse.

Built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, the Tea house stood for more than thirty years as a symbol of the strong cultural and commercial ties that link two of the world's leading nations. The Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego has roots in the 1915 World Exposition. After the Exposition, strong community interest kept the Japanese Tea Pavilion open for thirty years within Balboa Park, San Diego's Culture Center. With the development of San Diego's Sister City relationship with Yokohama in 1950, forty years of gift exchanges followed, kindling feelings of shared ideals represented by the Japanese Garden. Visit the San Diego Historical Society web site for a wonderful and detailed account of the Panama-California Exposition San Diego 1915-1916, by Richard Amero The following are images from archives of the San Diego Historical Society

 Japanese Tea Pavilion 1915

 Balboa Park, east of lath house toward Japanese Tea House

 The Bridge, May 1916

 The bridge with two women

 Ladies in the garden