Japanese Tea Garden to Host Jingu Centennial Festival
The San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jingu House with a two-part festival.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Cultural
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On October 10, 2026, the San Antonio Parks Foundation will host a centennial festival at the Japanese Tea Garden to celebrate 100 years of Jingu House. The celebration includes an anime-themed daytime segment and an evening program, followed by a formal gala at The Ralston on October 16.
Why it matters
The festivities honor the century-long history of Jingu House, which opened as the Bamboo Room in 1926 before its operators, the Jingu family, were evicted in 1942. Commemorating this milestone acknowledges the site's complex evolution from an abandoned limestone quarry to a preserved community landmark.
Jingu House marks its 100th year following a $2 million renovation project conducted between 2007 and 2015. The upcoming anime festival will welcome 40 direct descendants of the Jingu family to the grounds.
The players
San Antonio Parks Foundation
This organization is responsible for the maintenance and programming of public park spaces in the city.
Lawton family
The family currently manages operations for the Jingu House facility.
Jingu family
This family opened the original Bamboo Room in 1926 before their forced departure from the site in 1942.
The details
The centennial festival will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Japanese Tea Garden, while the Jingu Centennial Gala at The Ralston will feature a cocktail hour, dinner, and live music. Current operators, the Lawton family, oversee the site, which reclaimed its original name in 1984 after a period as the Chinese Tea Garden.
Timeline
The garden was transformed from a limestone quarry in 1917.
Jingu House originally opened as the Bamboo Room in 1926.
The garden was renamed back to the Japanese Tea Garden in 1984.
The centennial anime festival takes place on October 10, 2026.
The Jingu Centennial Gala will occur on October 16, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
These centennial events represent a growing trend in historic preservation where cultural landmarks actively celebrate the multi-generational legacies of their founding families. This approach contrasts with past institutional management styles that often overlooked the personal history of displaced operators.
Residents can visit the Japanese Tea Garden for the full-day festival on October 10, 2026, which is split into daytime anime and evening programming. Tickets or reservation details for the formal gala at The Ralston on October 16 remain the primary logistical requirement for interested attendees.
The takeaway
The Jingu House centennial highlights the importance of recognizing the individual stories behind iconic public spaces. Engaging with these local history events provides residents with a deeper connection to the evolution of their shared community landscape.
Further reading
For more information on local cultural milestones, visit the Cultural section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MySA.
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