Sankeien Garden
三溪园 · Kanagawa Prefecture · Naka Ward, Yokohama City
A traditional Japanese garden opened in 1906, about 175,000 square metres in area, dotted with historic buildings moved here from around Japan, 10 of them Important Cultural Properties.
Know before you go
- Entering buildings that are closed
- eating or drinking inside the buildings
- making noise by the ponds or on the lawns
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
The Old Buildings Hara Sankei Brought Here
Rinshunkaku originally stood in Iwade, Wakayama Prefecture, as a summer residence of Tokugawa Yorinobu, lord of the Kii domain; Hara Sankei acquired it in 1906 and rebuilt it in the garden between 1915 and 1917. Gekkaden is recorded as having been built by Tokugawa Ieyasu at Fushimi Castle in 1603, and the paintings on its sliding partitions are attributed to the Momoyama-period artist Kaiho Yusho.
Source: Wikipedia: Sankei-en
History
A Pagoda from Kyoto
The former Tomyoji three-storey pagoda was built in Kyoto in 1457 and moved to Sankeien in 1914. Today it stands on the hill beside the Main Pond and is the garden's most striking sight.
Source: Wikipedia: Sankei-en
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Sankeien is in Honmoku, Naka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Almost all of its historic buildings were bought by Hara Sankei himself and moved here from Tokyo, Kyoto, Kamakura, Gifu Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture and elsewhere; Rinshunkaku, Gekkaden and the former Tomyoji three-storey pagoda are the representative buildings. Hara Sankei, whose real name was Hara Tomitaro, was a silk merchant who designed and built the garden himself and opened it to the public free of charge in 1906; during his lifetime it became a gathering place for Meiji-era artists. Sankeien was badly damaged in the Second World War, donated to the City of Yokohama in 1953 and then restored; the Inner Garden north of the Main Pond, once the Hara family's private garden, opened in 1958.
Local customs
- Walk around the Main Pond and look up at the pagoda on the hill
- enter the former Yanohara House, moved from Shirakawa-go, to see its original hearth, bathroom and kitchen—it is the only building in the garden whose interior is open all year
- enjoy cherry and plum blossoms in spring and coloured leaves in autumn.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Entering buildings that are closed
- eating or drinking inside the buildings
- making noise by the ponds or on the lawns
Locals appreciate DO
- Visit the historic buildings as directed on site
- speak quietly by the ponds and on the lawns
- take your rubbish away with you
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Sankeien is in the Honmoku area and is a different destination from Yokohama Chinatown and the Red Brick Warehouse, so allow separate time for each when planning. Most historic buildings can usually be seen only from outside
- some open their interiors for limited periods such as summer, spring or November, as officially announced.
- Travel first to Yokohama Station or Sakuragicho Station, then take a bus to Sankeien
- bus times are subject to official announcements. Cherry and plum blossoms in spring and coloured leaves in autumn are the most popular.
Photos
Photos
Arisdp · CC BY-SA 3.0
Urashimataro · Public domain
Sources & verification notes
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