For many years the Garden was a very young Japanese garden. The trees needed time and the patina of age to give the garden the exquisite look of everything being "just so," achieving the correct proportions, shapes and size. This took about forty years for the garden to nicely mature. Other plants had to reach maturity before they could make a grand show in their season. At one point in time there were extant in the Garden, one thousand cherry blossom trees. In bloom, it need hardly be mentioned that they presented a sight of superlative beauty. The west had known nothing the equal of this site, save Washington, D.C. There were several rare types, among them one of the "golden flowered" cherries. The vast majority of the others were of the Equinox or Rosebud Cherry (the higan zakura). The Yoshino cherry was desired but did not produce viable seed from which to proliferate the species.

This all came to an abrupt end with the advent of World War II. A notice to evict was levied upon my family as well as all citizens of Japanese ancestry and the population was taken to concentration camps in the interior. My family was not spared this tragedy. The Garden fell into disrepair as the necessary needed care was not there to give and the Garden became the "Oriental Tea Garden". Many plants died. Superintendent McLaren earnestly entreated my family to return to the Garden once again, and eventually they did so. The original agreement was to have lasted ninety-nine years and the Hagiwaras were to be the caretakers of the Garden over the generations. This of course did not happen and I have watched as the Garden has slowly gone down over the years.

On a brighter note, it is amazing to see just how this Garden has touched so many peoples' lives. The locals and tourists have enjoyed the Garden for many years now. Those treasured memories are only all too familiar to native San Franciscans. Also of note is the fact that the fortune cookie was introduced by my family. As a matter of fact it is not Chinese in origin at all. The local Chinese usurped it as a business venture after the second world war. It has long been known in Japan. It was introduced to the US by my family to enjoy while taking tea in the Garden. As my family were aristocrats, they did not have any inclination to partake of this as a business venture. Had they been so inclined, a patent could have been applied to this unique invention and put into effect. It is always amazing to hear over and over again, the many couples that have met after reading the fortunes of a fortune cookie.

In 1994, the Tea Garden celebrated its centennial anniversary. To commemorate the event, I donated over one thousand flowering cherry trees to Arlington National Cemetery, VA and a smaller donation to the National Cemetery in San Bruno, CA. This was done to commemorate the event and beautify the country at these two National Cemeteries to posterity and the following generations to enjoy. These collections represent some of the largest assimilations of varieties of cherries in any one spot in the country and it remains my sincerest wish for all to go and see them.

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