Sankeien Garden

Sankeien is a large landscape garden in the south of Yokohama, created by the silk merchant Hara Sankei and opened to the public in the early twentieth century. The garden covers roughly seventeen hectares of ponds, streams, hills and woodland, and it is dotted with historic buildings that Hara saved from demolition and moved here from Kyoto, Kamakura and elsewhere in Japan. Several of these structures are designated cultural properties, including a three-storey pagoda from a Kyoto temple that overlooks the lower pond. The garden is divided into an outer part, open and spacious, and an inner part, more secluded, with a beautiful old farmhouse and tea houses. A circular walking route links everything in about ninety minutes, and benches and rest shelters are placed where the views are best.

The visit is a gentle sequence of scenes. Near the main entrance, a pond with a covered bridge and a stone lantern gives you the classic Japanese garden image. Further in, the old pagoda stands on a rise and is the most photographed spot. A thatched farmhouse from a mountain village shows how people lived in rural Japan, and various tea houses and a villa demonstrate how wealthy families built retreats.

Signs in English explain the history of each building, and in some seasons certain interiors are open for a closer look. Seasonal displays are a highlight: plum blossom late in winter, cherry blossom in spring, irises and lotus in early summer, and autumn leaves in late autumn.

Sankeien is easiest to understand with a little context. Guided walks or architecture-focused tours explain why the buildings were relocated, how the gardens were designed to reproduce famous Japanese landscapes, and what to look for in the tea houses. Some day tours that cover Yokohama's hills also include the garden, which is convenient if you want one walk to take you from the foreign settlement bluff to a traditional Japanese scene. Without a guide, grab the map at the entrance, follow the numbered route and pause at the tea house for matcha and a sweet.

Getting there takes a little planning because Sankeien is not on a main rail line. Take a city bus from Yokohama Station or from the Honmoku area, or ride a train to Negishi and then a short bus. The journey is roughly thirty to forty minutes from the centre of town. The garden usually closes in the late afternoon and charges a modest entry fee, with extra fees for some interiors.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a water bottle in summer and allow time to linger. It is one of the best places in Yokohama on a drizzly day, because moss and wet stone look better wet, and the crowds are thinner.

For photographs, the best compositions are the pagoda reflected in the lower pond, the covered bridge in morning light and the thatched farmhouse framed by maples. Staff sometimes close small paths to protect moss and seasonal plants, so follow the signs and stay on marked routes. Benches with views are placed throughout, and a small shop near the gate sells postcards and local sweets, which makes a gentle end to the visit.