Celebration Features Japanese Culture, Food, and Entertainment, Sunday May 17^th
 
Saratoga, CA- The Hakone Foundation will be celebrating the 16^th Annual Hakone Matsuri Japanese Festival on Sunday, May 17^th on the grounds of the historic Hakone Estate and Gardens. The festival will run from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM and will feature Japanese food, crafts, music, and martial arts demonstrations. Admission to the festival is free. Free parking and Complimentary shuttle buses will be running from Parking Lot 5 at West Valley College to Hakone Estate and Gardens throughout the day. Parking at Hakone will be $40, space is limited.

“Hakone Matsuri is the main fundraising event held by the Hakone Foundation” says Shozo Kagoshima, Executive Director of Hakone Foundation. Kagoshima also confirmed that the Consul General of Japan will also be represented at this year’s Hakone Matsuri. “The Consul General of Japan has been very supportive of Hakone Foundation, and its mission,” states Kagoshima. In 2015, the Foundation will be kicking off a three year celebration of the founding of Hakone Estate and Gardens.

The Hakone Foundation, a non-profit organization, is responsible for managing and running Hakone Estate and Gardens. Once the summer retreat of San Francisco philanthropists Oliver and Isabel Stine, the estate and gardens were designed by the inspiration Mrs. Stine gained after visiting the 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. After serving as the Stine’s summer retreat for 16 years, the estate went through several different owners until 1966 when the property was sold to the city of Saratoga. Hakone is the oldest Japanese Estate and Garden in the Western Hemisphere.

Hakone Estate and Gardens is open daily for tours, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday, and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $8.00 for Adults (18-64), $6.00 for Seniors (65+) and Students (5-17). Saratoga residents can visit Hakone for free on the first Tuesday of every month. Hakone Estate and Gardens is located in Saratoga (21000 Big Basin Way). Additional information can be obtained by visiting our web site: www.hakone.com .