Michigan’s Only Authentic Japanese Tea House, Saginaw

How about a nice cup of tea?
You know - sitting around with a group of friends, sipping tea, munching on baked goods, and talking about other people.

That is NOT what to expect when you visit this authentic Japanese Teahouse in Saginaw.

At the Japanese Tea House and Gardens in Saginaw, the tea experience begins when you pass through a bamboo gate called Nakamon . The path through the garden is made up of steppingstones which you are encouraged to focus on; stay on the stones and do not place your feet on the ground. The stone path takes you to a stone basin, where you use a bamboo ladle to gather water to rinse your mouth and hands. This is seen as purification, washing away ordinary unimportant concerns, and a way to clear the mind.

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Before entering the teahouse, there is a specially-selected stone where you remove your shoes. Once inside, you proceed to the tokonoma alcove. Here, you kneel in front of the tokonoma, bow in appreciation and respect for your host, and glorify the surroundings and objects that are there for your acknowledgement.

So how did Saginaw get this authentic Japanese tea house?

In 1961, Saginaw became a sister city with Tokushima, Japan in 1961.  This was the idea of MSU student Hiroyuki Takagi who came here from Tokushima. He was so impressed with Saginaw, that upon returning to Japan, he met with the mayor of Tokushima with his idea of forming a relationship between the two cities.

Meeting with skepticism - Hiroyuki’s persistence along with the support of his host family back in Saginaw - his dream came true on August 24th, 1961.

From planning to completion, the Saginaw-Tokushima Friendship Garden took five years to complete, from 1963-1968. The City of Tokushima sent landscape artist, Yataro Suzue to Saginaw to work his magic. According to Suzue in 1971, “All I want to do is to recreate beauty. God made nature but gave people the power to create the art that constitutes it. Beauty is not trickery, not illusion…but arranging elements like trees, water, and rocks in a way that there is no crowding, no competition for attention.”

With the gardens in place, a tea house was next. The two cities pooled funds and by November 1984, their goal was met.

The interior framework was assembled by both Japanese and American workers, using wooden pegs instead of screws or nails and not utilizing any kind of power tools.

Also, according to the Japanese Cultural Center website, “no paint or varnish was used because it would mask the natural beauty of the wood..... Mud processed and shipped from Shikoku Island plastered the walls. Traditional Japanese tatami flooring made of woven straw covered the tearoom, and shoji, paper screens, filtered the light from the windows.”

A year later, it was finished.

Be prepared for a whole different experience if you plan to visit. You’ll find the tea house and gardens at 527 Ezra Rust Drive, Saginaw.