in Kyoto Prefecture. Today Hakone is administered by The Hakone Foundation, a non-profit organization, which was established in 2000 to restore and enhance the gardens independently of public funding. The gardens are open to the public and the various community facilities are often used for cultural events. Film History Hakone Gardens was a filming location for the movie Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Design Gardens There are four principal gardens at the site: The Hill and Pond Garden The Zen Garden The Tea Garden The Bamboo Garden Of these, the Bamboo Garden is the newest, completed in 1987; the other three date back to the original construction commissioned by the Steins, with the Hill and Pond Garden the oldest, completed in 1918. The Hill and Pond Garden features a waterfall emptying into large koi pond with an island accessible via bridge. It is considered to incorporate elements of both Chisen-shuyu (pond) and Chisen-kaiyu (strolling) gardens. The Zen Garden features gravel raked into patterns and is designed for viewing and contemplation. It is a classic Karesansui (dry landscape) garden, completed in 1922. The Tea Garden is patterned after a typical Roji (Tea House garden). Structures The historic on-site structures were constructed using traditional Japanese designs and carpentry, based on 16th and 17th century residences favored by the samurai warrior class. The oldest are the Upper House (1918), Lower House (1922), and Tea Waiting Pavilion (1927). The Upper House was patterned after a typical rustic residence (shoin-zukuri) and was where the tea ceremony would be held, after the tea was prepared in the Tea Waiting Pavilion. The Lower House was used as the Steins' summer residence until approximately 1929. Significant alterations were made in the early 1980s to accommodate tea ceremony classes. The Main Gate dates to Tilden's ownership, and was completed in 1941. Tilden also added the Wisteria Pavilion and Arbor, Moon Bridge, and Upper Pavilion in the Hill and Pond Garden at that time. The Cultural Exchange Center is one of the newer buildings, and was completed in 1991. See also Japanese Tea Garden, oldest public Japanese garden in the United States List of botanical gardens and arboretums in California References External links Hakone Gardens official web site Botanical gardens in California Saratoga, California Parks in Santa Clara County, California Japanese gardens in California Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in