Japanese Tea Garden Review: Home of San Francisco’s Hidden Sea Monster

2012 Apr 04

Andrew Crusoe

At first glance, the Japanese Tea Garden nestled within Golden Gate Park seems innocent enough.

Birds frolic in its ponds. Verdant trees tower high above your head. And everything seems to be at perfect peace. At first glance, at least.

What you don’t know is that the Japanese Tea Garden is home to a disguised Sea Monster, hidden in plain sight. And even without the sea monster as a point of interest, the Garden is a wonderful place. After all, it’s oldest public Japanese garden in the US, and there is history behind every corner.

So let’s begin with the first thing you’ll see.

The Verdancy of the Main Pond

Upon entering, you have lots of options in which path you can take. You can take the pathway around the Main Pond to see the massive 5-roofed Pagoda reflecting in the water, or you can start heading toward the Torii gate. Did I mention how absolutely vibrant and lush this place is? I visited in September, which seemed to be the best time to visit San Francisco, overall.

Not only had I picked the right month, I also happened to be there on the right day, because in the distance was an awesome, mysterious white mist that surrounded the entire garden. You can see more examples of this in the photo gallery that accompanies this article (link below).

And not long after I entered, I found myself at the foot of a very strange (to the point of being somewhat wacky), bridge called:

The Taiko Bashi (Drum Bridge)

Without a doubt, the Drum Bridge, made from carefully cut strips of wood, is something you must walk over during your time at the Garden. In fact, this was commissioned, built, and blessed in Japan before it was brought over to San Francisco. To complete the bridge and the nearby Bell Gate, the builder sold the family rice fields. Only decades later was his son able to repurchase the family fields. Things really came full circle, which is synchronistic considering that the bridge forms a perfect circle when seen with its reflection in the water below.

And yes, the bridge is a bit steep, but the view is worth it.

The Buddha without a Shelter

Although you might not guess at first glance, this 10 foot tall bronze statue is over 200 years old. It was originally cast in Tajima, Japan, for the Taionji Temple; but in 1949 it was presented to the Japanese Tea Garden. And I’m thankful for this because the statue itself seems to radiate the energy of Japan to all of its surroundings.

Perhaps because it was blessed before it came to America, but it lent a welcomed energy to the Garden. Its name, “Amazarashi-No-Hotoke”, is certainly appropriate since it means “The Buddha that sits throughout the sunny and rainy weather without a shelter”.

And you know what? It didn’t even need a shelter.

The Ornate Temple Gate

I continued wandering the many vibrant paths of the garden; and when I saw this, I was instantly amazed. For the first time in weeks, I felt as though I were actually in another nation. This ornate Temple Gate, and an amazing 5-roofed Pagoda nearby, came from San Francisco’s 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. And despite being nearly 100 years old, they were in very good condition. The white and red-orange paint of both made them pop out against their verdant surroundings.

The Zen Garden & The Sea Monster

At last, after wandering through the Garden, admiring its many plants, statues, and bridges; I came upon the Zen Garden within. It was so immaculate and meticulously maintained that I wouldn’t have guessed that it was designed in 1953. And although landscape architect Nagao Sukurai claimed that this Zen Garden symbolizes a miniature mountain scene, I think we both see through that illusion.

Do you see the head? Do you see the green body of the creature? Surely, you see the tail rising up out of the water. These are not miniature islands and forests. Don’t let the azaleas fool you. There is more going on here than meets the eye.

I encourage you to look at a larger version of the photo in the gallery. See the triangular stone head at the left? This is a Sea Creature that has shape-shifted into bits of plant and stone. Don’t believe me? Have a closer look and come to your own conclusion.

In either case, the Japanese Tea Garden within the Golden Gate park is a lovely place to visit to relax, have some tea, and reconnect with nature. Recommended.

Stumbling Across the Twisting Trees

Having explored nearly every nook of the Garden (and my stomach beginning to rumble), I took the West Gate exit and headed toward Stow Lake.

This strange, twisting tree was something I came across as I moved west. It didn’t seem to grow up so much as it grew around and along invisible lines of force. And while it didn’t try to kill me (at least not in an obvious way), it did look menacing. Nearby the creepy tree, I also saw a group of people playing bicycle polo.

Because that’s just something they do in San Francisco.

— Bonus —

Marco the Spacefarer appears in all 27 photos in the accompanying photo gallery. If you’re new to the “Where’s Marco” game, it’s similar to “Where’s Waldo” or “I Spy”, and it’s totally fun!

Learn how to play →
Then find him in the photos! →

Coming up Next:

An incredible view of San Francisco and the bay from Twin Peaks. And then, I got to visit the little-known Sutro Baths ruins on the west side of the city, discovering some mysterious caves nearby in the process:

See what happened next →

All accompanying photos are in the Japanese Tea Garden photo gallery. With so much free, high-quality content, why not tell a friend and share this article?

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How to Become a Superhero: The Conscious Success Workshop (& A Crude Drawing)

2012 Mar 21

Andrew Crusoe

13 comments

Have you ever considered the possibility that you could be a superhero and just haven’t realized it yet?

I had to confront this possibility when I attended Steve Pavlina’s Conscious Success Workshop in January, and I came away with a surprising shift in my perspective.

At the workshop, we did plenty of eye-opening exercises, but one stood out in particular: The Ultimate Self Exercise.

In the exercise, we were to imagine the best version of ourselves, our superhero selves. Steve even gave us crayons of various colors so that we could draw what our superhero would look like, and on the back of our drawing we were to write down our superhero’s powers and virtues. Once we finished, we were to go around the room and introduce ourselves as if we were our superhero, tell the other person about our powers, learn about their abilities, and then give them a high five.

The Birth of The Trailblazer

Needless to say, I was really excited. But I was also pretty nervous since I had no idea what my superhero would be.

I stared at a blank piece of paper and waited for something to come to mind. Well, my superhero would undoubtedly be a Master of Travel. He’d be completely fearless, completely adaptable, and would effortlessly inspire people around the world. He’d also be able to fly (but he wouldn’t have a cape because capes get caught in jet turbines and are generally a bad idea because of this).

I began drawing this idealized version of myself, and soon The Trailblazer was born.

Even if the drawing to the right may have the artistic skill of a 4th grader, I think it gets the point across. It’s me, blonde hair and all, encompassing the world, carrying stories to inspire others along the way. (Later I felt better when I discovered that most other’s drawings were stick figures, as well.)

And I instantly loved the name The Trailblazer. It felt right.

Meeting some Great Supers

After about 5 minutes, Steve announced that time was up. Now was the moment of truth: it was time to share our superheroes with each other. I quickly wrote down my superhero powers and virtues. (This was actually easier than the drawing part. And although I only put 3, you can put as many as you want.)

Superpowers:

Courageously explore the mysteries of Earth, as well as any person who opens up to me
By sharing this, Inspire people to embrace more freedom in their own lives
Live/Adapt to anywhere. And can fly. (No capes.)

So naturally, my virtues were freedom, exploration, and wisdom; and I was excited to share The Trailblazer with the 50-60 other people in the room. In the process of sharing, I met many awesome superheroes that afternoon. Superheroes that had big hearts. Superheroes that were very creative and made beautiful works. And even some bizarre superheroes that had powers I can’t even remember. Best of all, almost all of them had the ability to give super hugs.

What are Superheroes, really?

Conscious Success Workshop 1 Group Photo - Day 3

The Superheroes of CSW

I’m glad Steve put this exercise at the end of Day 1 of the workshop because it helped build more group trust and cohesion—not to mention giving me a new perspective on myself and what I can become. It was then that I realized that superheroes truly do exist, that this exercise had opened up a new way of thinking about my personal growth over time. I realized that I am indeed a superhero in the making.

You can be, too. After all, people do amazing things all of the time. Some pluck people out of the fire or the sea. And some share ideas that powerfully affect the world. People save each other in various ways around the world every day. Superheroes exist, but we often don’t consider them superheroes.

At the end of Day 1, I took some time to sit alone and reflect on the drawing I’d created. If I continue down the path I’m on, how “super” could I become? How much more could I contribute and in what better ways? When I think about it, there are even some travel writers that I’d consider superheroes. Gary Arndt comes to mind. He’s been on the road for years exploring exotic places, adapting to different languages, arranging lodging and transportation, and still manages to write what seems like 97 articles per month.

Superheroes are people who seriously have it together, know what they want to create on a deep level, and continuously improve at their craft — the same path I’m committed to. I know it takes years to become a well-rounded superhero, but I also know that I’ll get there because of how much I love what I do. All it takes is continuing down the path, and when I see how far I’ve come in the last few years, the progress that I see is really encouraging. My progress reminds me that Mastery is measured in hours and eventually comes as long as you stay on the path.

What about you? What does your ideal self look like? What’s your superhero name? What powers and virtues would the best version of you have? Try the exercise for yourself. I think you’ll find it enlightening. And then take some time every day to move a little bit closer to that person. One tiny step a day multiplied by years turns into one giant leap. And after all, the time is going to pass, anyway; so why not focus on getting closer and closer to that person?

What’s the name of the superhero hiding inside of you?
C’mon, show us what you’ve got!

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Andrew Crusoe

Tropical Sci-Fi & True Hawaii Adventure

Category: Travel Essays