: You don’t have to fly to Japan for the cherry blossoms & tea gardens—this free-to-visit Japanese Garden in San Mateo is a peaceful hidden gem in the SF Bay Area. Designed by Nagao Sakurai, a landscape architect from Tokyo’s Imperial Palace, this small garden feels like a dream. A koi pond that mirrors the sky, a gentle bamboo grove, a granite pagoda, and a little tea house tucked inside Central Park in San Mateo. Cherry blossoms are in bloom right now (there are just 4 trees, but they’re so pretty). Visit during weekday hours for a chance to watch koi feedings at 11AM or 3PM. Note: As peaceful as it is, no dogs allowed inside. 📍 San Mateo Japanese Garden Mon–Fri: 10am–4pm | Sat–Sun: 11am–4pm #JapaneseGarden #BayAreaHiddenGem #SanMateo #CaliforniaGardens #CherryBlossomsCalifornia #SFBayArea #BayAreaTravel #SanFranciscoDayTrip #FreeThingsToDoBayArea #japaneseteagarden #igspringaura