Japanese Cultural Center, Tea House, and Gardens of Saginaw — Attraction in Saginaw

My partner and I are very into Japanese culture, and decided this would be a nice stop for something to do on our way through Saginaw.

We did almost miss it! Google Maps marks the location as where the walking entrance in - the driveway is actually on S. Washington Ave, before you turn onto Ezra Rust Rd! There is a tiny sign that says "Japanese Gardens Parking" so don't miss it!

The gardens themselves were a little underwhelming. You must keep to the path, but unfortunately there is very little path to walk on. I wish we could have gone closer to the lake or around more scenery but we didn't want to break the rules.

The $5 tea house tour is absolutely adorable and worth it. We were greeted by the sweetest and funniest Japanese woman who was more than willing to tell us the history of the tea house, the importance of the way it was build, and a general knowledge on traditional tea ceremonies, (since we were not there on a designated tea ceremony day) She was worth the trip 100%, I loved her. She made us the best cup of green tea I've ever had, and two traditional Japanese sweets - an adzuki bean agar jelly and a soft, sweet cookie.

After your tour, you're given complimentary postcards and...

Don't have a natural disaster because they won't honor your Tea Ceremony tickets...they'll make you pay again for tickets...is this a representation of Japanese Culture and how they respond to people who are experiencing natural outages beyond their control? I'm going to pay again because it was a birthday gift to my son but so far the whole experience has left a horrible impression of the Japanese Cultural Center in my mind. I won't be suggesting it to my friends or family. I even drove 1hr and 45 min to get the tickets in the first place...so I would have them before his birthday. So sad that they show no compassion and understanding. Maddie suggested I come to their Japanese Festival in September or October because it was free...sheesh it's not the money. But what if it was...there are a lot of families out there to whom twenty dollars is a big chunk of the budget...shoot I've been there in my life. If so, you might want to put your money into someplace that if your child gets sick or something happens beyond your control your tickets...

The Japanese Cultural Center, Gardens and Tea House, is a beautiful, scenic, and peaceful place to visit. The loveliness of the garden and the simple beauty of the tea house brings tranquility and peace of mind. The traditional tea ceremony serves not only a reprieve from the outside world, but provides a fascinating account of its historical roots and the construction of the tea house. Reservations are required to attend the tea ceremony, and the experience is very informative and wonderful. The staff are fantastic and gracious hosts. Unique and affordable trinkets are available for purchase as well. Visiting this space gives a small viewing into the fascinating and noble culture of the Japanese and it is highly...