Hakone Zendo

By Aaron

Hakone is such a special place. I wanted to share a bit about the history that I learned from the Hakone website. 

This place began in 1915, when Isabel and Oliver Stine, philanthropists from San Francisco, were inspired by the Japanese gardens at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Isabel fell in love with their beauty and symbolism. After the exposition ended, she even arranged to have trees, plantings, and ornamental pieces from the Japanese Pavilion brought here to Saratoga.

Isabel then traveled to Japan to study historic gardens. When she returned, she commissioned Naoharu Aihara, from a long line of Japanese imperial gardeners, and architect Tsunematsu Shintani. Using traditional Japanese materials and artisans from Japan, they created what we now know as Hakone. Shintani designed and built the Moon Viewing Upper House, the Lower House, and the koi pond — all in harmony with the Saratoga hills.

The website suggests that the garden was likely inspired by the one at the Fujia Hotel in Hakone. Hakone is a weekend getaway from people in Tokyo, famous for hot springs and view of Mount Fuji.

Isabel was co-founder of the San Francisco Opera and in 1923 the first West Coast performance of Madame Butterfly was held here at Hakone. 

In 1932, Major Charles Tilden purchased the estate. He was the president of the East Bay Regional Park District. Tilden park in the hills east of Berkeley, is named after him. He added features such as the impressive main gate, new pathways, and the wisteria arbor. But the Upper House and koi pond remained at the heart of Hakone.

In 1966, Hakone became public when the City of Saratoga purchased the estate to preserve it as a community park. Since then, generations of gardeners, volunteers, and foundations have worked to maintain and restore it.

In recent decades, the Upper House was restored — the roof replaced, the floor renewed, and the foundation repaired. The koi pond was also refreshed, with a new well to sustain it. These projects were supported by preservation groups and the City of Saratoga, part of a larger effort that placed Hakone on the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places in 2013.

So when we sit together in zazen here at the Upper House, and hear the stillness around the koi pond, we are participating in a long legacy. This space was created over a century ago to embody peace, beauty, and contemplation. Our practice continues that vision, keeping Hakone alive as a place for reflection and harmony.