Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden has unveiled a fresh look for its Pagoda Plaza, giving visitors more reasons to flock to this serene slice of San Francisco. As chronicled by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, this revitalized space is conceived as a tribute to tradition and an arena for cultural gatherings, including taiko performances and bonsai demonstrations. To embrace the garden's history, the remodel work was completed under the care of renowned Japanese Garden designer Hoichi Kurisu and his team.

The refreshed space revolves around the garden's 109-year-old pagoda, which underwent an extensive restoration in 2022. According to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, the redesign has introduced a more open environment, putting the Tatsuyama stones, a generous donation from the Matsushita Stonemason Co., Ltd and backed by the National Chamber of Commerce of Japan, to marvelous use. Their historical significance stretches back more than 1,700 years in Japan's architectural lexicon, bringing aesthetic value and a tale of endurance and tradition.

Visitors can now wander along two new pathways: one leading to a terrace with vistas that capture the gift shop, the bronze Buddha, and the Hagiwara Gate; the other meandering through the Sunken Garden to craft a scenic link between the main entrance and the plaza. Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of SF Rec and Park, said, "The Japanese Tea Garden is one of Golden Gate Park’s most revered gardens, and it is the oldest public Japanese Garden in the nation." He added, as per the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, "With the pagoda restored to its former glory, it’s only fitting that we breathe new life into the surrounding plaza, ensuring that this space remains a premier location for celebrating Japanese culture."

The plaza's makeover has taken a decidedly green turn, adding seven 60-year-old Japanese black pines and permeable pavements to accommodate their growth. Behind the pagoda is a newly conceived space for quiet contemplation, inviting guests to meditate beside a mossy tableau set against a Japanese cryptomeria backdrop. In a stroke of historical reminiscence, the plaza's central feature, the storied pagoda, was created for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition and has been a fixture in the garden since 1916. Gardens of Golden Gate Park CEO Stephanie Linder expressed excitement "to collaborate with community partners to continue bringing the Pagoda Plaza to life with special programming and create new memories in this beloved space," as cited by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.