This article appeared in the February 2018 issue of RIO Magazine, the official magazine of the San Antonio River Walk Association.

Photos by Aedan Richter

San Antonio’s Japanese Tea Garden, also known as Sunken Gardens, has a long, complicated history. Despite its drama, it’s a peaceful place that every visitor and resident should experience because it is one of the Alamo City’s most beautiful sites and admission to the garden is free. That’s right. FREE.

In the early 1900s, City Parks Commissioner Ray Lambert dreamed up converting 11 acres of an abandoned San Antonio Portland Cement rock quarry into a place of beauty. The brick and stone smokestack at the entrance is a reminder of the garden’s industrial history. The garden’s close proximity to the San Antonio River and Brackenridge Park were added bonuses.

Lambert hired Kimi Eizo Jingu, a Japanese watercolor artist who was living in San Antonio, to help design an authentic Japanese Tea Garden. Parks Engineer W.S. Delery drew up their plans. Funded by local businesses and individuals, prisoners and city employees constructed the garden using the quarry’s natural rocks. The entrance is anchored by a giant pagoda crafted from blue argillaceous limestone rocks.

A 60-foot waterfall beckons visitors to meander through the sunken garden, navigating arched stone bridges and narrow footpaths. Orange, black and white koi glide through the garden’s giant lily ponds. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a camera to the garden. Every angle is Instagram-worthy. A walk around the garden’s perimeter is a must. You’ll be treated to a bird’s-eye view of downtown San Antonio.

The garden opened in 1919, and Kimi and Miyoshi Jingu lived on site with their eight children. In 1926, they opened a tea house, called the “Bamboo Room,” and served tea and light snacks.

Lambert’s quest for authenticity meant that he imported plants from Japan to landscape the garden. In addition, local citizens donated bulbs to help with the quarry’s beautification. Hugo Gerhardt, who also lived on site, was the head gardener and caretaker for 25 years.

Mr. Jingu died in 1938, leaving his family to carry on. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the City of San Antonio evicted the Jingu family from their home and renamed the garden the Chinese Tea Garden. A faux bois entryway designed by Maximo Cortez and constructed by Dionicio Rodriguez still carries this name.

For those who are rusty or unaware of this time period in U.S. history, read “When the Emperor Was Divine” by Julie Otsuka, “The Train to Crystal City” by Jan Jarboe Russell, and “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson. All three will give you a greater understanding of how Japanese-Americans were treated during World War II and what they survived.

The Jingu family was not interred, but they did have to find a new place to live. Members of the Travis Park United Methodist Church helped the family find housing. Miyoshi eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she acted in movies and TV shows. She died in 1969.

The City of San Antonio restored the garden’s original name in 1983, acknowledging the contribution of the Jingu Family and other Japanese-Americans who fought with honor for the United States during World War II.

In 2007, former Mayor Lila Cockrell and former City Councilwoman Bonnie Conner coordinated a $1.6-million fundraising campaign to restore the garden’s lily ponds. The grand re-opening took place in March 2008 with members of the Jingu and Lambert families in attendance.

The Jingu House was renovated and reopened in 2011 as part of a Texas Local Park Urban Indoor Recreation Grant Project. There, you may sit and sip a cup of tea or enjoy a San Antonio-style mochi (paleta) in its treehouse-like dining area while reflecting on the garden’s troubled but happy-ending history.

The garden is open daily from dawn until dusk, and it is wheelchair friendly. According to the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, the Japanese Tea Garden is designated as a Texas Civil Engineering Landmark and a Registered Texas Historic Landmark, and it is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!