is a traditional
Japanese-style garden in
Naka Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
,
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, which opened in 1906.
[Yokohama Sankei Garden](_blank)
Sankei-en's official site accessed on November 3, 2009 (in Japanese) Sankei-en was designed and built by (1868–1939), known by the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
Sankei Hara, who was a
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
trader.
Almost all of its buildings are historically significant structures bought by Hara himself in locations all over the country, among them
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
,
Kamakura
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939.
Kamak ...
,
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
, and
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...
.
Ten have been declared
Important Cultural Property, and three more are
Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan
A as defined by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties is a part of the Cultural Properties of Japan, Cultural PropertiesIn this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple definition, ...
designated by the
City of Yokohama.
Badly damaged during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the garden was donated in 1953 to the City of Yokohama, which entrusted it to the . Sankei-en was then restored almost to its pre-war condition.
Features
![Sankeien Rinshukaku and Teisha Bridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Sankeien_Rinshukaku_and_Teisha_Bridge.jpg)
Sankei-en has a total surface of 175 thousand square meters and features ponds, streams, and undulating paths designed by Sankei Hara himself, plus many historic buildings, such as , originally constructed in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
in 1457 and relocated in 1914, and the , originally the private residence of the Yanohara family.
Work on the garden started in 1902 and ended in 1908, two years after it was opened to the public. During Hara's own lifetime, the place became an aggregation point for
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
artists.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
caused great damage to the buildings. In 1953 the garden was donated by the Hara family to the City of Yokohama, which created the Sankeien Hoshōkai Foundation for its repair and maintenance. The Foundation started the restoration in 1953 and, five years later, the garden was back almost to its original form and reopened to the public.
The Japanese government has designated ten structures in Sankei-en as Important Cultural Properties, while three more are Tangible Cultural Properties designated by the City of Yokohama.
The garden is popular for its
cherry
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...
blossoms, ''
ume
''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...
'' blossoms, and the changing leaves in autumn.
Kakushōkaku
Next to the entrance, the was formerly the private residence of the Hara family. Today it can be rented by the public and used for meetings and parties. It is one of the three buildings on the premises designated as Tangible Cultural Properties by the City of Yokohama. Only during the summer, the Kakushōkaku is open to the public.
Sankei Memorial
Located immediately after the Kakushōkaku, the was built to introduce the public to the garden and its creator through exhibits, images and works of art. A Gifu Prefecture native, Hara was the eldest son of Yanaizuchō village's headman. From childhood he liked and studied the fine arts,
Sinology
Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to th ...
and poetry, finally beginning formal studies in 1885 in what is now
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
's
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902.
The university has numerou ...
. After graduation, he became a teacher at the Atomi School for Girls. Born Aoki, he changed it later after marrying one of his students and being adopted by her family. He became the head of the family trading business and was very successful. After moving to Sankei-en's present location in Honmoku, he started collecting old buildings, rebuilding them in his garden. He then decided to open the garden to the public for free in 1906.
Outer Garden
![Sankeien-Jutou-Ooidou](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Sankeien-Jutou-Ooidou.jpg)
The Outer Garden, that is, the area next to the Main Pond, was the first part of the garden to open to the public in 1906. The buildings it contains are the former Tōmyō-ji three-storied pagoda, a tea room called , a tea hut called , and .
Tōmyō-ji's former main hall (Important National Cultural Property) was brought here from Kyoto and is an example of
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
(1336–1557) architecture. Bought in 1988, it was completely restored with intensive work of restoration and reconstruction that lasted five years.
Tōmyō-ji's former three-storied pagoda (Important National Cultural Property) is visible from any point of the garden and is its symbol. It was moved to Sankei-en in 1914.
Tōkei-ji
, also known as or , is a Buddhist temple and a former nunnery, the only survivor of a network of five nunneries called , in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the Rinzai school of Zen's Engaku-ji branch, and was op ...
's former ''butsuden'' (Important National Cultural Property) used to be the main hall of a
Rinzai
The Rinzai school ( ja, , Rinzai-shū, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (along with Sōtō and Ōbaku). The Chinese Linji school of Chan was first transmitted to Japan by Myōan E ...
Zen
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
temple in Kamakura. Its structure and name are typical of that sect. It was bought and moved to Sankei-en in 1907.
Former Yanohara House
The (Important National Cultural Property) used to be the private home of an
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
(1603–1868) wealthy family, the Yanohara. It is the only building whose interior is open to the public all year. It was brought here from
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
's
Shirakawago
is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō, a small, traditional village showcasing a building style known as '' gasshō-zukuri''. Together with Gokayama in Nanto, Toya ...
, an area listed among the
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
sites.
The house contains the original hearth, bathroom and kitchen used by the Yanohara. The second floor houses an exhibition of Japanese folk articles.
Inner Garden
The Inner Garden, north of the Main Pond, was opened to the public in 1958, and was until then the Hara family's private garden. Its buildings are the (Tangible Cultural Property), the (Tangible Cultural Property), the , , the , the , the , the , the , and the Renge-in. Only during the summer, the Rinshunkaku and the Hakuun-tei are open to the public.
Of particular value is the Rinshunkaku (Important National Cultural Property, see photo below), formerly belonging to the
Kii House of Tokugawa. It is often compared in beauty to the World famous
Katsura Imperial Villa
The , or Katsura Detached Palace, is an Imperial residence with associated gardens and outbuildings in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Japan. Located on the western bank of the Katsura River in Katsura, Nishikyō-ku, the Villa is 8km distant fro ...
in Kyoto. Originally the summer residence of
Tokugawa Yorinobu
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period.
Born under the name Nagatomimaru (長福丸), he was the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, by his concubine Kageyama-dono. On December 8, 1603, Yorinobu received the fief of Mito, then rated at 20 ...
, the first head of the Kii House, it used to stand in
Iwade, Wakayama
270px, Iwade city hall
is a city located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 54,138 in 23906 households and a population density of 1400 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Iwade is ...
prefecture. Acquired by Hara in 1906, it was rebuilt over a period of three years between 1915 and 1917. Divided in three sections, it was decorated by famous artists
Kanō Tanyū and Kanō Yasunobu.
The transoms between pavilions are decorated with sculpted waves (first pavilion) and special paper containing poetry (second pavilion). The third pavilion's transom is decorated with real
gagaku
is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794-1185) around t ...
instruments like ''
shō'' and flutes.
The Gekkaden (Important National Cultural Property) was built in 1603 by
Ieyasu
was the founder and first '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and f ...
, the first of the
Tokugawa shōguns within Kyoto's
Fushimi Castle
, also known as or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a Japanese castle located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto.
Fushimi Castle was constructed from 1592 to 1594 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the end of the Sengoku period as his retirement residence. Fushimi Castle ...
. It was bought in 1918 together with the Shunsōro and moved to Sankei-en.
Hara then connected it to a pavilion he built, the Kinmokutsu. The paintings on the room partitions are attributed to
Momoyama period Momoyama may refer to:
History
*Azuchi–Momoyama period, the final phase of the Sengoku period in Japanese history 1568–1600
People
* Ion Momoyama, Japanese singer and voice actor
* Momoyama Kenichi (1909–1991), Korean prince and cavalry offi ...
artist
Kaihō Yūshō
; real name: Kaiho Shōeki, " brush name": Yusho (alternative names: ''Josetsusai'', ''Yūkeisai'', ''Yūtoku''), was a Japanese painter of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was born in Ōmi province, the fifth son of Kaihō Tsunachika, who was a ...
. The Gekkaden can be rented by the public.
The Tenju-in (Important National Cultural Property) was originally a
Jizō-dō in
Kita-Kamakura
is a neighborhood of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Because of the presence of East Japan Railway Company's (JR) Kita-Kamakura Station, it is better known as Kita-Kamakura. It lies within the Ofuna administrative subdivision of the city of ...
near the great
Kenchō-ji
Kenchō-ji (建長寺) is a Rinzai Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which ranks first among Kamakura's so-called Five Great Zen Temples (the ''Kamakura Gozan'') and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan.English pamphlet ...
Zen temple and was bought in 1916. Tenju-in was Hara's , the temple which enshrined his tutelary gods.
Tenzui-ji's former Jutō Ōi-dō
[A ''jutō'' is a kind of ]stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumamb ...
built while the person that will rest in it is still alive. An '' Ōi-dō'' is a hall housing either protects or hides something precious, in this case a stupa. (Important National Cultural Property, see image above) was built in 1591 by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
as a resting place for his mother, and is one of the few extant buildings attributable with certainty to him.
The construction of the Chōshūkaku (Important National Cultural Property, see photo below) is traditionally attributed to
Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...
, third of the Tokugawa shōguns. The pavilion is open to the public in spring and in November for the traditional viewing of the autumn colors.
The Shunsōro (Important National Cultural Property) is a tea room believed to have been built for
Oda Urakusai
was a Japanese daimyō and a brother of Oda Nobunaga who lived from the late Sengoku period through the early Edo period. Also known as or , the Tokyo neighborhood Yūrakuchō is named for him. Nagamasu Japanese Christians, converted to C ...
, brother of the more famous
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
.
Urakusai was a well-known practitioner of the
tea ceremony
An East Asian tea ceremony, or ''Chádào'' (), or ''Dado'' ( ko, 다도 (茶道)), is a ceremonially ritualized form of making tea (茶 ''cha'') practiced in East Asia by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans. The tea ceremony (), literally transla ...
.
Getting there
* From Yokohama, take the
Negishi Line
The Negishi Line ( ja, 根岸線, ) is a Japanese railway line which connects Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Freight trains also operate on this line, and it is essential for the southern K ...
to
Negishi.
* From bus stop No. 1, take any of the buses numbered 58, 99 or 101 and get off at Honmoku.
*Cross the street, walk to the convenience store, turn right and walk straight to the garden (about 500 meters)
Other information
* Opening hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entrance allowed until 16:30)
* Ticket price (as of December 2017): 700 Yen
Gallery
Image:Sankeien Kakushokaku.jpg, The Kakushokaku
Image:Sankeien Choshukaku.jpg, The Chōshūkaku
Image:Sankeien Old Yanohara House Front.jpg, The Old Yanohara House
Image:Rinshunkaku.JPG, Rinshunkaku
File:Sankeien 2010 Teisha bridge.jpg, Autumn foliage
File:Sankei-en - Kanagawa - Sept 5 2021 various 00 07 18 406000.jpeg, Matcha
is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, traditionally consumed in East Asia. The green tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown for three to four weeks before harvest; the stems and veins are removed during ...
and dango
is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour. It is different from the method of making mochi, which is made after steaming glutinous rice. ''Dango'' is usually finished round shaped, thre ...
File:Sankei-En - panoramio - Koichi Shibata.jpg, The pagoda in spring
File:Sankei-en - various scenes - Sept 5 2021.webm, A few scenes from the garden in late summer, 2021
See also
*
Ōzone Oshitayashiki
The Ōzone ''Oshitayashiki'' (大曽根 御下屋敷), sometimes also read as ''Shimoyashiki'' (下屋敷), is a former residence of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan, located in Ōzone in Higashi ward in Nagoya, central Japan.
History
...
*
Katsura Imperial Villa
The , or Katsura Detached Palace, is an Imperial residence with associated gardens and outbuildings in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Japan. Located on the western bank of the Katsura River in Katsura, Nishikyō-ku, the Villa is 8km distant fro ...
*
Ma (negative space)
is a Japanese reading of a Sino-Japanese character, which is often used to refer to what is claimed to be a specific Japanese concept of negative space. In modern interpretations of traditional Japanese arts and culture, is taken to refer to ...
References
External links
Photo galleryPamphlet in English(pdf)
*
{{Authority control
Naka-ku, Yokohama
Gardens in Japan
Geography of Yokohama
Hanami spots of Japan
Open-air museums in Japan
Gardens in Kanagawa Prefecture
Parks and gardens in Yokohama