Japan Unlocking

Yokohama · Sankeien Garden (Honmoku)

Sankeien Garden

How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24

Sankeien Garden

Photo: Suicasmo・CC BY-SA 4.0

A Japanese garden made by businessman Hara Sankei, with old buildings moved from Kyoto and Kamakura set around ponds. It is a national Place of Scenic Beauty.

Nearest station
About 10 min by bus from Negishi Station (about 30 min on foot)
Hours
9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Admission
Adults 700 yen, elementary/junior high 200 yen

What to see

  • Three-story pagoda: built in 1457, the oldest building in the garden.
  • Rinshunkaku: a villa of the Kishu Tokugawa family; it gives Sankeien the name 'Katsura Palace of the East'. Its interior is normally closed.
  • Outer and inner gardens: flowers outside, old buildings and refined gardens inside.
  • Old buildings: ten of the 17 are Important Cultural Properties.

Seasons

  • Plum, cherry, wisteria, lotus and autumn colour through the year, with events such as moon-viewing and early-morning lotus viewing.

History

The outer garden opened to the public in 1906, and the whole garden was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty in 2007.

Getting there

The nearest station is JR Negishi. Take bus 58 or 101 from stop 1 (about 10 minutes) and walk about 10 minutes from Honmoku; or a bus from Yokohama Station East Exit stop 2 to Sankeien-iriguchi, then 5 minutes on foot. A bus is needed.

Address：58-1 Honmoku Sannotani, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0824

Directions in Google Maps →Official website →

Before you go

Closed 26-31 December. The thatched Yanohara house is closed for roof works until about the end of March 2027. The pagoda will be covered for major repairs from April 2027. Some Sankei Memorial Hall galleries are closed 20-30 Oct 2026.

← Yokohama guide: trains from Tokyo

Sources

Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.

Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors