A Hillside Villa of About 1935 in Gora
Shinzanso (神山荘, the Former Fujiyama Raita Villa) is a villa of about 1935 in Gora, Hakone Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 12, 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The name is read Shinzan-sō.
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a thatched roof and a building area of 431 square metres; registration number 14-0057.
Inside the Shinsenkyo Garden
Shinzanso stands in Shinsenkyo, the garden of the Hakone Museum of Art. According to the museum, its founder Okada Mokichi laid out the garden between 1944 and 1953, and it was designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty on March 26, 2021. Shinzanso shares the grounds with other buildings including Kanzantei, Nikkoden and the museum's main and annex galleries.
The Agency places Shinzanso south of Koen-kami Station on the Hakone Tozan cable car.
Why It Was Registered
Shinzanso was registered as a model of form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes a varied composition that uses the fall of the land to fit courtyards neatly between the wings.
Western Rooms and Thatched Wings
The light entrance porch divides Shinzanso into two halves (Agency for Cultural Affairs). To the right is a Western-style wing for dining and reception, roofed in green tiles; to the left run two thatched wings, the Naka-no-ma and the Kami-no-ma.
Green tile and thatch sitting side by side in one house is the thing to look for as you walk the garden. Because the wings step along the slope, you can also see the roofline rise and fall around the courtyards.
Visiting
Shinzanso lies within the museum garden, so a visit follows the Hakone Museum of Art's hours. From April to November the museum opens 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last entry 4:00 p.m.); from December to March, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.). It closes on Thursdays (open on public holidays), over the New Year and on exhibition changeover days. The museum's guide does not say whether the interior of Shinzanso is open.
Admission is 1,500 yen for adults and 700 yen for high school and university students, and free for junior high school age and under (Hakone Museum of Art). The museum was fully closed for renovation from May 7 to October 29, 2026, and reopens in a pre-opening phase from October 30 with the annex galleries; pre-opening admission is 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for students.
From JR Odawara Station allow about 1 hour by the Hakone Tozan railway and connecting lines (Hakone Museum of Art). There is free parking, available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Q&A
- When was Shinzanso (the Former Fujiyama Raita Villa) built?
- In about 1935 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is Shinzanso?
- In Shinsenkyo, the garden of the Hakone Museum of Art in Gora, Hakone, south of Koen-kami Station on the cable car.
- What is distinctive about Shinzanso?
- A green-tiled Western-style dining and reception wing on one side of the entrance and thatched Japanese wings on the other, arranged around courtyards on sloping ground.
- Can I visit Shinzanso, and how much does it cost?
- You can see it in the museum garden during opening hours; adult admission is 1,500 yen. Ask the museum whether the interior is open.
- When was Shinzanso registered?
- On October 12, 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shinzanso (Former Fujiyama Raita Villa) (神山荘（旧藤山雷太別荘）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1300-92 Gora, Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2001/10/12 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, thatched roof, building area 431 square metres |
| Owner | Sekai Kyusei Kyo (Church of World Messianity) |
| Public Access | In the Hakone Museum of Art garden; open during museum hours |
References
- Shinzanso (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002373
- Shinsenkyo, Place of Scenic Beauty (Hakone Museum of Art, Japanese)
- https://www.moaart.or.jp/hakone/shinsenkyo/
- Hours and Admission (Hakone Museum of Art, Japanese)
- https://www.moaart.or.jp/hakone/guide/
- Access (Hakone Museum of Art, Japanese)
- https://www.moaart.or.jp/hakone/access/
- Closure for Renovation (Hakone Museum of Art, Japanese)
- https://moaart.or.jp/hakone/topinfo/20260119/
Last verified: 2026.10.14