The gardens were originally the private estate of Isabel and Oliver Stine, San Francisco philanthropists. Mrs. Stine fell in love with the Eastern concepts and unique beauty of Japanese gardens when they participated in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. The Japanese pavilion was one of the largest and grandest at that world’s fair. Isabel Stine was so enthralled and inspired by the Japanese exhibits at the Exposition, she decided to have her own summer retreat designed as a Japanese garden. She traveled to Japan and chose Hakone, a town located in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, for the name of her garden. Very likely, the gardens at the nearby Fujia Hotel were the model for her Hakone garden design.