Hakone Foundation Hosts Final Garden Exhibit

From The Hakone Foundation: The Hakone Foundation, which maintains and operates Hakone Estate and Gardens, will debut this weekend its final exhibit honoring the last year of the historic landmark’s three-year centennial celebration.

The first viewing will take place at a special VIP reception at the Cultural Exchange Center this Friday, April 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Executive Director Shozo Kagoshima will unveil the finale centennial exhibit, “Hakone, From Private Estate to Public Garden,” with remarks by Deon Gresham, the only surviving member of the partnership that owned Hakone 1961-66. Hakone Trustee Connie Young Yu, daughter of John and Mary Young who were in the partnership of six couples, will also share her memories of this special time in Hakone’s history.

In 2015 Hakone’s premiere centennial exhibit told the story of Isabel Stine’s inspiration for creating her own Japanese garden estate in Saratoga (1915-1917) after visiting the Japan Pavilion at the Pan Pacific International Fair in San Francisco. Last year’s exhibit featured the splendid Tilden era and images of the estate magnificently tended by landscape gardener James Sasaki.

The new exhibit features the story of the last owners of Hakone, a partnership of six couples who owned Hakone from 1961-1966, operating it as a private retreat while stewarding its preservation. Contrary to rumors that the Hakone would be ruined and subdivided by this unconventional ownership, the partners continued the legacy of the Stine and Tilden eras, maintaining the gardens and sharing it with friends and family. Ultimately, this group was credited with saving Hakone for posterity by selling it to the City of Saratoga for use as a public park.

The final centennial exhibit features history panels, memorabilia and art relating to the third owners, including their never-before seen photographs of Hakone.

The VIP reception is open only to Foundation Members, but the exhibit opens to the public Saturday, April 22, and will continue the rest of the year. The exhibit will be included with the price of admission. Hakone will continue celebrating the third year of its centennial with other programs, which culminate with the grand finale Centennial Gala Dinner onSept. 17, which will be open to anyone who purchases tickets. More will be revealed about that event, including ticket prices and entertainment, in the coming months. Proceeds will benefit preservation of the gardens.

Thousands of people visit Hakone each year to escape the city without going off the grid. They come to revel in Japanese culture; leisurely strolling the hill and koi pond garden, to ascending the moon bridge, the dry landscape garden, or quietly reflecting in the bamboo garden. To make the most of the cultural experience, groups of five or more can take advantage of docent-led tours and traditional tea ceremonies and kimono wearing demonstrations. Origami and Storytelling classes fire the imaginations of children ages 5-13. Hakone offers a wide variety of educational classes, from Zen meditation, karate and Tai Chi to Japanese painting and tea ceremony programs.

The exhibit is free with the admission, which is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and kids under 5 are free. Members and a guest can enjoy free admission.

For more information on Hakone’s fascinating history or other upcoming events visit www.Hakone.com.

Images Courtesy of The Hakone Foundation