Harboring a delightful maze of winding paths, stone lanterns, ornamental ponds, bonsai, a wooden pagoda, a Zen garden and a teahouse, this tranquil, five-acre garden has been a premier attraction since it was built for the Midwinter Fair of 1894. After the fair closed, the garden continued operating under the direction of master gardener Makoto Hagiwara, who also tended the tea concession and is credited with inventing the fortune cookie here in 1909. A plaque by the front entrance honors the memory of Hagiwara and his family.The garden is most colorful around April, when its cherry trees burst into bloom. The exquisitely crafted ceremonial gateway at the front entrance is a traditional feature of Japanese shrines. Inside, the steeply arching wooden Moon Bridge takes its name from the orb formed by the bridge and its reflection in the pond below. Near the center of the garden sits a 10.5ft statue of Amazarashi-no-hotoke-Buddha (the Buddha who sits through sun and rain without shelter); cast in Japan in 1790, it is the largest bronze Buddha outside Asia. Visitors enjoy sipping green tea and nibbling delicate cookies in the open-air teahouse.