The three-story pagoda was dismantled in Kyoto and transported to Yokohama by sea in 1914.
Many buildings in the garden were salvaged by Hara Sankei to protect them from urban development and demolition.
The garden features a 'Gassho-zukuri' farmhouse relocated from the mountainous Shirakawa-go region.
The Choshukaku pavilion was originally built for the third Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu, in 1622.
The garden contains a dedicated teahouse built by the famous tea master Oda Uraku.
The pond system is fed by natural springs located within the garden's topography.
Sankeien preserves architectural styles ranging from the Muromachi period to the Edo period.
The garden serves as a habitat for fireflies, which are the subject of special evening viewing events in early summer.
Sankeien Garden is a 17.5-hectare traditional Japanese garden in Yokohama featuring a collection of historic buildings relocated from Kyoto, Kamakura, and other regions. Originally the private estate of silk merchant Hara Sankei, the park opened to the public in 1906. The site is divided into an Inner Garden and an Outer Garden, connected by a series of ponds and streams. It contains ten structures designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan. A signature feature is the three-story pagoda, originally built in 1457 at Tomyoji Temple in Kyoto. The landscape incorporates the natural hilly terrain of the Honmoku area to create vistas that integrate architecture with seasonal flora. The garden is maintained as a representative example of Meiji-era landscape design.
The bridge overlooking the central pond with the three-story pagoda visible in the background on the hillside.
Explore the Inner Garden first, as it often has fewer visitors than the main entrance area.
Wear comfortable, flat walking shoes to navigate the gravel paths and stone steps between the buildings.
Visit the teahouse for a traditional bowl of matcha during your walk.
Trying to see every historic building in under an hour; the layout requires significant walking through hilly terrain.
Closed annually during the final days of December.
Refrain from walking on grass or moss beds; do not touch the historic wooden structures.
