Sankeien Garden: A Living Museum of Japanese Architecture in Yokohama
Few places in Japan offer the kind of seamless harmony between historic architecture and natural beauty that visitors find at Sankeien Garden in Yokohama. Spread across approximately 175,000 square meters of gently rolling terrain in the Honmoku district, this expansive Japanese garden gathers seventeen historic buildings—ten of which are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties—within a landscape of ponds, streams, hills, and seasonal blossoms. Created by the silk merchant and tea master Hara Tomitaro (better known by his art name, Sankei) and opened to the public in 1906, Sankeien stands today as a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty and one of the most rewarding cultural destinations in the Kanto region.
The Vision of a Silk Merchant and Tea Master
Sankeien is inseparable from the personality of its creator, Hara Tomitaro (1868–1939). Hara entered the wealthy Hara family of Yokohama through marriage, taking over the silk trading firm that his wife's grandfather, Hara Zenzaburo, had built into one of the city's leading export houses. At the age of thirty-one, Sankei inherited the business and modernized it into a joint-stock company, becoming one of the most influential industrialists of Meiji- and Taisho-era Yokohama. He also served as the first president of the Yokohama Koshin Bank (the forerunner of today's Yokohama Bank) and, after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, took on the role of chairman of the Yokohama Reconstruction Committee, earning him the affectionate title of "Yokohama's benefactor."
Yet alongside his commercial achievements, Sankei was a deeply cultivated man—a poet, painter, calligrapher, and tea master who supported a circle of distinguished artists including Yokoyama Taikan, Shimomura Kanzan, and Maeda Seison. The garden he built on his family's estate at Honmoku was, in essence, an extension of that artistic sensibility. He once declared that the beauty of the landscape belonged not to him but to the Creator, and on this principle he opened the garden to the general public from the very beginning. At a time when private estates of this scale were almost always closed to ordinary visitors, his decision was considered remarkable.
An Outdoor Architectural Anthology
What makes Sankeien so unusual is that nearly all of its buildings were moved here from elsewhere in Japan. Hara Sankei was concerned that many fine examples of historic architecture—shrines, temples, residences, tea houses—were being lost to the upheavals of the Meiji period, including the anti-Buddhist movement (haibutsu kishaku) and the rapid westernization of cities. He purchased threatened structures from Kyoto, Kamakura, Kishu (Wakayama), the Hida region, and other parts of Japan, and rebuilt them at Honmoku with great care for both their preservation and their setting in the landscape.
The result is a kind of outdoor anthology of Japanese architecture. Visitors can pass within a single afternoon from a Muromachi-period pagoda to an early Edo-period villa, from a Kamakura-era Buddhist hall to a thatched gassho-style farmhouse from the snowy mountains of Hida. The buildings are not arranged as a museum display would arrange them; instead, they are placed thoughtfully in relation to ponds, hillsides, and sight lines, so that each structure feels as though it has always belonged in the place where it now stands.
Why Sankeien Was Designated a Place of Scenic Beauty
Sankeien was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty (kuni no meisho) by the Japanese government on February 6, 2007. The designation recognizes not only the artistic and scholarly value of the historic buildings themselves, but also the way they have been integrated with the natural topography and seasonal vegetation to form a unified garden landscape of high aesthetic and academic value. In other words, Sankeien is honored not simply as a collection of monuments but as a complete work of garden design.
The garden is divided into two parts. The Outer Garden (Gaien), completed in 1906, was conceived as a public space and is anchored by the Former Tomyo-ji Three-Storied Pagoda on a hilltop overlooking the Great Pond. The Inner Garden (Naien), opened in 1922, was originally Hara Sankei's private retreat. Its layout, with buildings of the highest cultural value carefully arranged along a meandering stream, has often been compared to the famous Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto—a comparison that the garden's planners themselves invited.
Highlights You Will Want to See
The Former Tomyo-ji Three-Storied Pagoda
Standing on the hill that rises above the Great Pond, this elegant pagoda is the unmistakable symbol of Sankeien. Built in the early Muromachi period, it is the oldest building in the garden and was relocated from Tomyo-ji temple in Kizugawa City (formerly Kamo Town), Kyoto Prefecture, in 1914. The view of the pagoda reflected in the still water of the pond, framed by cherry blossoms in spring or maple leaves in autumn, is one of the most photographed scenes in Yokohama.
Rinshunkaku
This graceful villa, designated an Important Cultural Property, is widely believed to have origins associated with the Kishu Tokugawa family. Its three connected wings arranged in a stepped, "flying geese" formation overlook a pond in the Inner Garden, and the interior is richly decorated with painted sliding panels. Together with Katsura Imperial Villa, it is considered one of the finest surviving examples of early Edo-period villa architecture.
Former Yanohara Family Residence
A massive gassho-style farmhouse from the eighteenth century, this thatched dwelling was originally located in the Shirakawa-go region of the Hida mountains and would have been submerged by the construction of a dam. It was carefully relocated to Sankeien in 1960. Inside, visitors can still see the great hearth, the smoke-blackened beams, and the household tools of a self-sufficient mountain community.
Shunsoro Tea House
An Azuchi-Momoyama-period tea room traditionally attributed to Oda Urakusai, brother of the warlord Oda Nobunaga. It is famous among tea practitioners for its nine windows—an unusually generous amount of natural light for a Japanese tea room—and is considered a masterpiece of the genre.
Kakushokaku
The former main residence of the Hara family, designated by the City of Yokohama as a Tangible Cultural Property. Restored in 2000, it is occasionally opened for special viewings and can be reserved for weddings, tea ceremonies, and cultural events.
Seasonal Beauty
Sankeien is known throughout the year for its seasonal flowers and foliage: plum blossoms in February, around two hundred and fifty cherry trees in late March and early April, irises and water lilies in early summer, lotus blossoms in July and August, and brilliant maple foliage from mid-November through mid-December. During the autumn maple season, the garden often holds evening illuminations, and a normally closed path behind Choshukaku is opened to visitors.
Around Sankeien
The Honmoku district that surrounds Sankeien is itself worth exploring. The neighboring Shanghai-Yokohama Friendship Garden, a Chinese-style garden donated by Yokohama's sister city, is a short walk away. A little further afield, the Yokohama Bay area offers many of the city's most popular sightseeing destinations, including the Yamashita Park waterfront, the historic Motomachi shopping street, the lively Yokohama Chinatown, the Minato Mirai 21 district with its Landmark Tower and red brick warehouses, and the Yokohama Doll Museum. Many visitors combine a morning at Sankeien with an afternoon in central Yokohama, all of which is easily reached by city bus from the garden's front gate.
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Q&A
- How much time should I set aside for a visit?
- Most visitors spend between two and three hours exploring the garden. If you intend to enter the Inner Garden and study the historic buildings in detail, or if you would like to enjoy a tea break at one of the garden tea houses, allow at least three hours. Free guided tours of the Inner Garden in Japanese are offered twice daily, and an English-language tour is offered once a day in the afternoon.
- Is photography allowed inside the garden?
- Personal photography is welcome throughout the garden. Commercial photography, the wearing of wedding attire or costumes, and shoots using multiple pieces of equipment require advance arrangement with the garden office.
- When is the best time of year to visit?
- Every season offers something distinctive. Plum blossoms peak in mid-February, cherry blossoms from late March to early April, irises in late May and June, and the maple leaves from mid-November to mid-December. The autumn evening illuminations are especially popular and well worth coordinating with a visit if your travel dates allow.
- Can I enter the historic buildings?
- A number of the buildings, including the Former Yanohara Family Residence and certain pavilions of the Outer Garden, are open for general viewing. Several of the most precious structures, such as the interior of Rinshunkaku and Kakushokaku, are only opened during special exhibitions and seasonal events. Please check the official website before your visit for the current schedule.
- Is the garden accessible for wheelchair users?
- Much of the Outer Garden can be enjoyed on accessible paths, and wheelchairs may be borrowed free of charge at both the front gate and the south gate. The Inner Garden and the hilltop pagoda involve slopes and steps that can be challenging, so wheelchair users are encouraged to consult the staff for the most comfortable route.
Basic Information
| Name | Sankeien Garden (三溪園) |
|---|---|
| Address | 58-1 Honmoku Sannotani, Naka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture 231-0824 |
| Designation | National Place of Scenic Beauty (designated February 6, 2007) |
| Area | Approximately 175,000 m² (17.5 ha) |
| Founder | Hara Tomitaro (Sankei), 1868–1939 |
| Opened to the public | May 1, 1906 (Outer Garden); 1922 (Inner Garden) |
| Historic Buildings | 17 structures, including 10 nationally designated Important Cultural Properties and 3 Yokohama City Designated Tangible Cultural Properties |
| Operator | Sankeien Hoshokai Foundation |
| Hours | 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30) |
| Closed | December 26–31 |
| Admission | Adults 900 yen; elementary and junior high school students 200 yen (Yokohama residents aged 65 and over: 700 yen with proof of residency) |
| Access | About 10 minutes by city bus from JR Negishi Station to "Honmoku" bus stop, then a 10-minute walk; alternatively, city bus from JR Yokohama Station, Sakuragicho Station, or Motomachi-Chukagai Station |
| Telephone | +81-45-621-0634 |
References
- Sankeien – Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs / NII)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/140304
- Yokohama Sankeien Garden Official Website
- https://www.sankeien.or.jp/
- History of Sankeien – Sankeien Official Website
- https://www.sankeien.or.jp/learn/history/
- Japanese Garden – Sankeien Official Website
- https://www.sankeien.or.jp/learn/teien/
- Visitor Information – Sankeien Official Website
- https://www.sankeien.or.jp/price-service/
- Sankeien – Yokohama Official Tourist Information Site
- https://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/spot/details.php?bbid=87
- Sankeien – Kanagawa Tourism NOW
- https://www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/spot/90
Last verified: 2026.05.12