Supervisors back city acceptance of Parks Alliance funds for Japanese Tea Garden restoration

San Francisco — The Government Audit and Oversight Committee recommended that the Board of Supervisors authorize the Recreation and Parks Department to accept and expend philanthropic funds from the San Francisco Parks Alliance for restoration work at the city’s Japanese Tea Garden.

Supervisor Connie Chan described the item as distinct from the Port/Crane Cove discussion, noting that the funding here is led by the Japantown Task Force and Friends of the Japanese Tea Garden and appears to be largely in hand. Rec & Park staff confirmed that the fundraising campaign’s initial goal of $300,000 has been met and that the “up to $400,000” figure accounts for potential additional cash or in‑kind donations.

Several public speakers, including Lucy Fisher and Louise Mazingo of the Friends and the Japantown Task Force, told the committee the project is community driven and emphasized cultural and historic importance; Mazingo framed some of the restoration work as a form of reparation for past wartime harms to the Japanese American community.

Committee members thanked the community for its mobilization and voted to forward the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

Why it matters: The Japanese Tea Garden is a culturally significant site; the vote clears the way for Rec & Park to accept community-raised funds and proceed with renovations while supervisors signaled attention to preservation oversight and community partnership.

What’s next: The resolution will be placed on the Board of Supervisors agenda for final action.