Sankei-en Garden

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About Sankei-en Garden

Sankei-en is a Japanese garden in the Honmoku district, in southern Yokohama, created by silk merchant Hara Tomitaro, known by his art name Sankei. He purchased the site at the end of the 19th century and opened the outer part of the garden to the public in 1906. The garden covers about 17 hectares of ponds, valleys and hills.

Over decades, Hara brought historic buildings from various parts of Japan to the garden, dismantling and reassembling them there. There are about 17 structures, several designated Important Cultural Properties. The most prominent is the three-story pagoda, dating from the 15th century and transferred from a temple in Kyoto; it stands atop a hill and is reflected in the main pond.

The inner, more secluded garden contains the Rinshunkaku, a 17th-century feudal lord’s residence, and the Choshukaku, a tea pavilion, as well as tea houses and a temple hall. The outer area has thatched-roof farmhouses, the main pond—home to herons and ducks—and paths that climb the hills.

Hara was also a collector and patron of artists, and the garden hosted painters and tea masters. The seasons change the scenery: plum blossoms in February, cherry blossoms in April, lotus in July and maples in November. In some seasons, the historic houses open their interiors to visitors.