We Had Tea and Fortune Cookies

Postmarked 23 April 19X8 (1948?)
Menlo Park, California

POSTCARD CAPTION:

TEA GARDEN, GOLDEN GATE PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. / THE TEA GARDEN In Golden Gate Park, San Francisco is a delightful spot. Here are hump-back bridges, stone gardens, tiny streams, bamboo trees, temples, cherry blossoms, and azaleas. Many cozy nooks about throughout the gardens.

POSTCARD MESSAGE:

We had tea and fortune cookies in this Tea Garden Weather Lovely There's so many interesting places to go. / Lillian

Isn't it interesting that "Japanese" was excised from the description of this card? I suppose the anti-Japanese sentiment was still too strong after World War II to market the attraction under the name "Japanese Tea Gardens." The garden is still open, and is the oldest Japanese Tea Garden in the United States.

According to the official website, the tea garden was originally built for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition. After the fair closed,

"[Makoto Hagiwara] became caretaker of the property, pouring all of his personal wealth, passion, and creative talents into creating a garden of utmost perfection. Mr. Hagiwara expanded the garden to its current size of approximately 5 acres where he and his family lived for many years until 1942 when they, along with approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, were forced to evacuate their homes and move into internment camps. When the war was over, the Hagiwara family was not allowed to return to their home at the tea garden."

Japanese Tea Garden Website