A little bit of Japan in the heart of San Francisco.

The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco is located in the splendid Golden Gate Park and is high on the "must see" list of things to do.

Being fond of most things connected with the Far East I had to pay a visit and sure enough was not disappointed.  This is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, dating back to 1894, and was originally designed and created by Makoto Hagiwara.

Japanese architecture is truly amazing.  The spectacular gateways in this garden were built by Japanese craftsmen trained in the art of traditional carpentry and constructed from Japanese Hinoki Cypress.  The fascinating thing about these traditional construction techniques is that these buildings are built entirely without the use of nails.  The timbers fit intricately together to create a terrifically strong and beautifully ornate structure.