Sankeien Garden

Garden

Prefecture

Kanagawa

Type

Garden

N/A

0 reviews

¥900

Entry Fee

Train Access Cafe

About This Destination

A spacious traditional Japanese garden built by silk merchant Hara Sankei, featuring 17 historic buildings relocated from across Japan including a Kyoto three-story pagoda.

Sankeien is a 175,000 square meter Japanese garden created by silk merchant Tomitaro Hara starting in 1902. The garden has 17 historic structures that Hara relocated from Kyoto, Kamakura, and elsewhere. The three-story pagoda from Kyoto's Tomyo-ji Temple is the most photographed. Ten of these buildings are designated as Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government. The garden is divided into an Outer Garden, which opened to the public in 1906, and an Inner Garden featuring Hara's private residence and tea houses. Each season brings distinctive beauty, from plum and cherry blossoms in spring to lotus flowers in summer, autumn foliage, and snow-dusted landscapes in winter.

Location

Prefecture: Kanagawa

Address: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Nearest Station: Negishi Station

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Food Options: A tea house within the garden serves matcha and traditional Japanese sweets, offering a tranquil setting to rest amid the historic scenery.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Sankeien Garden?

From JR Yokohama Station East Exit, take the Yokohama City bus #8 or #148 directly to Sankeien-iriguchi stop (35–40 minutes, ¥240). From JR Negishi Station (closer), take bus #54 or #58 to Honmoku Sankeien-mae (12 minutes, ¥220). By car: 25 minutes from Yokohama center via Honmoku Pier; paid parking on-site (¥500/2 hours). Often skipped by short Yokohama trips because of distance from main tourist hubs, but worth it for garden enthusiasts and photographers.

What's the best season to visit Sankeien?

Late February for plum blossoms (200+ trees), late March–early April for cherry blossoms (the three-story pagoda framed by sakura is the classic shot), late June for irises and lotus, mid-November to early December for autumn maples and night light-ups (until 20:30 during peak weekends). The garden is significantly quieter than Tokyo's famous gardens; even at peak you can find serene moments. Allow 2 hours; the Inner Garden's Important Cultural Properties get less foot traffic.

What's the entry fee and what should I see?

Adult ¥900, junior high–elementary ¥200, under 6 free. Open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); extended for seasonal events. The 17 historic buildings, 10 of them National Important Cultural Properties, make this an outdoor architecture museum. Highlights: the 1457 three-story pagoda from Tomyo-ji (Kyoto, oldest in Eastern Japan), Rinshunkaku villa from Wakayama (1649, first to enter the Inner Garden), Tokei-ji temple buildings from Kamakura, and the Hara family residence with original tea ceremony rooms. Free volunteer English tours weekends 10:30 and 13:30.

Can I have a tea ceremony experience here?

The garden's Kakushokaku tea house offers a casual matcha + sweet experience for ¥700 (no reservation needed, available all open hours, English instruction signs). For a formal tea ceremony, the Hara Family Residence holds reserved Saturday/Sunday morning ceremonies (¥3,500, must book 2 weeks ahead via the official site, 90 min in English). Several other tea houses dot the grounds for self-guided rest. Sankeien is one of Yokohama's best places to encounter traditional Japanese tea culture without the formality of Kyoto-only sessions.