Was created by Sankei (born as Tomitaro) Hara (1868-1939) – a successful Yokohama businessman who made a fortune with silk business. The area is appr. 175,000 square meters and is situated near Tokyo Bay. The construction took 20 years – from 1902. Only outer garden is open to the public since 1906, the inner garden is for private use. It is an open air museum, too, as 17 historic architectural properties were gathered from different areas of Japan.
Three Story Pagoda and the main pond
I am the boss here! Sankeien Garden is a place where newly weds come to have their photo takes Don´t disturbe me please, I am meditating! The Main Hall of old Tomyoji which was originally located in Kamo in Kyoto area and in 1986 was transferred here
Yanohara family house was built around 1750 as the residence of a village headman – front view Yanohara family house – side view. This is one of the largest gassho-style houses that still exist in Japan. Gassho-style roof name is derived from the miscanthus-thatched roof because its construction is made by the stacking of large logs in a way that resembles clasped hands – handjoinig = gassho Former Yanohara Family House – gassho style, built during Edo Era around 1750 in Shirakawa-go village in Gifu Prefecture and was moved here in 1960 during Showa Era
Irori = a fireplace – in the middle of the living room is fed with logs everyday. Nothing was considered more entertaining in the old time home life as to sit and chat around an irori on a cold night after a day ´s hard work. It had jizai for hanging the tea kettle over the charcoal Yanohara family house interior with tatami mats Tatami mats in the reception room
Old Tokeiji Sanctum – Buddhist, of the Zen sect, built in 1634 during Edo Period in Kamakura and was famous for providing refuge to women seeding release from marriage. That is why it was calle Divorce Temple or “fate-cutting temple”. In those times divorce was exclusively a male privilege. Battered wife had this only reguge – a year spent in Tokeiji made her divorce official. Moved here in 1907 during Meiji Era Garyobai = the trunk of an Ume = Japanese Apricot which looks like a crawling dragon. This tree was a model for a painting “Yoroboshi” which is a masterpiece painted in 1915 by Kanzan Shimomura (1873-1930) – famous painter in Meiji period and is now in Tokyo National Museum
Three Story Pagoda of Old Tomyoji built in 1457 during Muromachi Period in Kizugawa City of Kyoto Prefecture, moved here in 1914 during Taisho Era is at the top of the hill above the main pond
Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537-1598), one of the most famous shoguns in Japanese history, had this Juto Oido of Old Tenzuiji built in 1591 for housing juto – a stone monument to wish for his mother´s health and long life. Originally it was built on the premises of Daitokuji of Kyoto and moved here in 1905 Ornamental wooden carvings on Juto Oido of Old Tenzuiji – detail
Rinshunkaku – built in 1649 during Edo Period by Tokugawa Yorinobu (1602-1671) = the 10th son of the first shogun of Edo Period Tokugawa Ieyasu in Wakayama Prefecture along Kinokawa River. Yorinobu was the first feudal lord of the Kishu Tokugawa clan. This was a villa – summer house and was moved here in 1917 during Taisho Era Rinshunkaku – The interior is decorated with fine ink paintings by Kano Tanyu (1602-1674) Japanese watercolour scroll painter, court painter to the Tokugawa ShogunateKano Tanyu painted these decorations for Kishú Tokugawa clan summer home in 1649 Beautiful
