So this is the second part of my review of Sankeien Garden. As I said in the first part, this place is huge. If you read that then you’d know that that story ended with a visit to the Shofukaku Observatory.
Second Part of My Visit to Sankeien Garden: More Beautiful Sceneries
This review is just a continuation of that and I’m going to start with my walk down from the observatory. I just went past the stairs that I climbed up to get here and found myself on this path to the Three-Story Pagoda. You sort of don’t need to worry about getting lost because the pagoda just dominates the skyline which makes it easy to use as a point of reference (if you somehow stray off the path for some reason).
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Prior to reaching the pagoda, I came across this statue of the Shusse/Issyusse Kannon. This is a Kannon bodhisattva that is revered for her being compassionate as well as for her generosity in granting blessings and good fortune.
I’ve finally reached the Three-Story Pagoda and I will say that it’s actually even more impressive in person. At some point I kind of dismissed it while I was checking out the other sights here in Sankeien Garden. That said, thanks to being just a part of the skyline here, it still found its way in my direct and peripheral vision.
Here’s a sign detailing a brief history of the 3-story Pagoda. So according to this, the pagoda is essentially the center of attraction here as a lot of the buildings (especially those in the Inner Garden) were laid out in a way that they’d afford a view of it. The sign also notes that the building is the oldest here in the garden having been built in 1457. Like a lot of the other buildings here, the pagoda was relocated from Kyoto’s Tomyoji Temple back in the early 1900s.
After admiring the pagoda, I decided to head down and check out the other buildings in the Eastern part of the garden. These stairs are just beside the pagoda and lead down to a path that should bring me close the Rindoan building.
While it is admittedly scenic, the stairway is a little steep and long so you’re going to want to make sure that you watch your steps here as you’re going down. I personally stopped a number of times just to admire the scenery here.
After reaching the bottom of the stairs, I was greeted with this really nice view of the Rindoan building and the bamboo grove beside it. The path to my right would lead me to the Old Yanohara House while the path on my left should allow me to get back to the Inner Garden area.
Here are some signs pointing to the directions I was talking about in the previous picture. At this point, my mind was already decided and I wanted to head to the right to check out the Old Yanohara House and other buildings that I might come across there.
Before I could reach the Old Yanohara House though, I would have to go past the Hatsunejaya. This is a sign detailing its history that I think is worth a read. I was particularly surprised by the idea that Sankeien used to be free to the public and even had tea houses like this where visitors could rest, enjoy the view, and of course, drink some tea.
This is Hatsunejaya now and I must say, it does look like its age. It’s a very simple looking pavilion with some seats and a hearth in the center. This is where they used to hang over a pot for boiling hot water for the tea that was served to visitors.
Here’s a sign further showcasing the tea house’s role in the history of Sankeien Garden. This one talks specifically about how famous poets like Rabindranath Tagore as well as Akutagawa Ryunosuke used to grace the tea house when they were here.
While the Hatsunejaya does look old, it’s certainly not dilapidated and it’s still very much usable. In fact, I saw visitors (like in the picture) taking a well deserved rest here before they continued to other buildings in the area.
After admiring Hatsunejaya I continued my walk and saw this off in the distance when I turned left on the path I was walking in. I checked a copy of the map of Sankeien Garden that I took and saw that this building was called the Yokobue-an.
Turning right on the very same path that I saw the Yokobue-an, I saw this Garyobai plum grove. Now you’re probably admiring the daffodils here and that’s understandable but check out the background and you’ll see some unusually shaped trees that look like dragons.
Anyway I decided to continue walking toward the Yokobue-an when I then came across this bridge. According to the sign, the bridge here is called Kankabashi or Kanka Bridge. While it’s not as intricate and colorful as Kamakura’s Taiko Bridge, it still has that rustic appeal that I think makes it look better.
While on the bridge going to the Yokobue-an, I looked to my left and saw what looked to be the Taishunken restaurant. Typically, you don’t actually see this restaurant from here during the spring and summer seasons. Thankfully this picture was taken in the winter so there weren’t any leaves blocking my view of the place.
I’ve now reached the Yokobue-an and the first thing I did was read up on its history. So apparently, the building’s name was derived from it housing an image of Yokobue, a servant girl made famous in The Tale of the Heike. In that account of the Genpei War, Yokobue was said to have fallen in love with a noble named Saito Tokiyori with their romance eventually turning into a tragedy since Tokiyori’s parents wanted him to marry someone else. Both would eventually turn to religious life as monk and nun and lived out the rest of their lives without seeing each other again.
Here’s another sign with details of the building itself as well as what happened to Yokobue’s statue. According to this sign, the building is pretty unique since it makes use of thatch and shingles for its roofing. Regarding the statue, it was unfortunately lost during an air raid in World War II. What is interesting about it though is that it was supposedly not made from stone or metal but from paper. Yes, you read that right. It’s been said that Yokobue herself made the statue from the letters that Tokiyori sent her.
Back when the statue was still here, couples used to visit thinking that it would bring luck to their marriages. With the statue gone, I think people are still visiting because the house just looks really good.
This is the area of the house that uses thatch for its roofing. I’m still not sure why they chose one area to have thatch and the rest of the house to have shingles for the roof. My guess is probably there was a shortage of shingles which resulted in the use of thatch.
This is a display featuring a picture of the Shofukaku before it got hit by the Great Kanto Earthquake. Unlike the other pictures of this place that we saw in the first part of my review of Sankeien Garden, this shot was likely taken from the area down here.
Before heading to the Old Yanohara family residence, I saw this unique looking building and decided to check it out first. I checked a copy of my map again and found that this is actually the Buddhist Sanctum of the Former Tokeiji Temple.
Like a lot of old Zen Buddhist buildings, this features thatch roofing and some fine details on its mokoshi or skirt roof. What I’m most impressed by though is the detail on the main door.
A closer look at the Buddhist Sanctum. I tried researching a bit about this and found out that Tokeiji, the temple that this building came from is also known as the “Divorce Temple”. It got this moniker from being a refuge for women who were trying to escape abusive marriages and spouses.
Also called a Butsuden, the Buddhist Sanctum used to house a Buddhist statue and apparently, was built some time in the 1630s. With costs for maintaining it running high, it was decided that the building would be relocated to Sankeien where it now stands as one of its attractions.
Just a couple of steps away from the Butsuden is the Former Yanohara Family Residence. From where I’m standing, the building looks a lot like the gassho-zukiri style houses that you’d find in Shirakawa-go.
Before I could get close to the building, I decided to read this display here first. It talks about an Inakaya or rural cottage that Sankei Hara used to entertain guests and visitors. I can’t seem to find the building anywhere here so something might have happened to it in the years after it got built.
Right next to the display talking about the Inakaya is this sign detailing the Former Yanohara Family Residence’s history. As I guessed, it is a gassho-zukiri style building built in the 1800s and very much like the ones I visited in Shirakawa-go. In fact, the building was relocated from the prefecture back in the 1960s. It’s not mentioned in the sign but the reason for the relocation was to preserve the building since the village it was in (Shokawa Village which is near Shirakawa-go) was slated to be submerged following the construction of a dam in the area.
Much like the Nagase House that I visited in Shirakawa Go, the Former Yanohara Family Residence is a non-noble’s house. More specifically, it used to be a farming family’s residence. With that said, it does look a little more “posh” (for lack of a better word) than most farmer’s homes from the same period.
For one, the house has this entrance hall that’s usually reserved for more upper-class homes. Not only is it spacious, it’s also elevated to the same floor as the main house and it’s also made of wood. Were it not for the presence of farm implements, I’d actually think that this was the entrance to the house of a samurai family.
While admission to the house is free, there are certain things you’ll need to follow to protect the building and the relics/implements that are housed there. Aside from having to remove your shoes, you’re also going to have to refrain from bringing food and drinks, tripods, and umbrellas while inside. Moreover, camera flashes and smoking are also discouraged.
I finally left the Former Yanohara Family Residence to check out the Yokobue-an again. This time around, I walked the path connecting the two buildings and came across this display featuring the Kankabashi and the Yokobue-an. Now the picture here shows the Taishunken with an inscription that says that it no longer exists. Though this is technically true, there is still Taishunken building though it’s in another location (still in the same area).
Here’s a really nice shot of the Kankabashi and the Yokobue-an both bathed in sunlight.
This is another “Old Days in Sankeien” display that this time, features the Tsukigaenochaya. So Hatsunejaya wasn’t the only building serving tea in the Garden when it first started operations. Tsukigaenochaya also served the same purpose though it was mainly for the Hara family’s use. The display also talks about a rural cottage near the tea house which I think might be the Inakaya mentioned in the display that I saw earlier.
Here’s a final look at the Former Yanohara Family Residence. Looking at the building now, it really does look imposing and far from being the farmer’s house it was supposed to be. From here I turned around and walked the path leading to the new Taishunken.
Now while walking the path I came across this spot with a bodhisattva that I think might be Amitabha (I’m not quite sure). What I really liked about the spot though is that it if you took a picture of the bodhisattva, you’d also capture the Former Yanohara Family Residence and Yokobue-an buildings in the background.
After a short walk from the bodhisattva statue, I finally found myself in Taishunken. If you’re wondering, the sign here just says to enjoy your visit to Taishunken to your heart’s content.
Here’s another of the Old Days in Sankeien series of displays with an image of the old Taishunken as well as some details regarding its history. According to this display, the old Taishunken was not originally from Sankeien and was in fact owned by Kawamura Denzaemon. A highlight of the building’s history is that it once played host to Ulysses S. Grant on his lone visit to Japan.
Now this Taishunken is very much different from the one in the picture. It’s obviously a very modern building featuring cement flooring and glass for its windows. And while the old Taishunken used to function as a tea house, this new one is more of a cafe/restaurant. In fact, it actually has a unique noodle dish called Sankei noodles which I heard was pretty popular among visitors.
So instead of the paper that they probably used back when the garden was still new, the windows here now make use of glass. In addition, the inside of the establishment also has air conditioning though if you want, you can just opt for outside seating to better enjoy the views here.
If you do plan to eat here in Taishunken then you best make sure that you schedule your visit to NOT be on a Wednesday. Thankfully I didn’t have plans to eat here on the day I visited. That said, there are other establishments here so you probably won’t be missing out on a lot.
Here’s another view of the empty Taishunken. I will say that it does look like your best bet would be to make use of the outside seating here especially if you’re visiting during the spring and/or summer seasons. I can imagine just how lovely and lively the whole scene here is going to be with all the trees and flowers in bloom.
This is an old picture of Taishunken that also features Yokobue-an and what seems to be the Three-Story Pagoda in the background. The text on the display writes the third building here as the Rokkakudo though so I might be wrong and there could have been another pagoda here.
Just a short distance from the new Taishunken is another relocated building from Tomyoji Temple. This one is the Main Hall of the temple and it’s a surprisingly recent addition to the Garden. After its construction in the mid-1500s, the Main Hall was said to have housed a Buddhist Statue up until the time it was damaged during World War II. It eventually got reconstructed and restored to its original form after which it then got relocated to Sankeien Garden in 1984.
Now you might think Tomyoji sounds familiar because it is. The Three-Story Pagoda we saw at the start of this second review is also from there. Thanks to the restoration work done on the Main Hall, it looks like it’s more well-maintained than the pagoda even though they both were constructed around the middle Edo period.
Here’s a closer look at the Main Hall. Even though it was reconstructed relatively recently, sitting on the steps here is still discouraged. You’ll also notice that there is no statue here as it likely was damaged or left in Tomyoji Temple in Kyoto.
Opposite the Main Hall, I caught sight of this really tall and really imposing cherry tree. I was actually quite intrigued so I decided to move on closer to see if there were any signs nearby that featured it.
And sure enough, I came across this display detailing what kind of cherry tree this is. Apparently, the cherry tree is called an usuzumi-zakura and it’s known for being a rare variety. The original tree (pictured in the display) is in Neo Village in Gifu Prefecture and the one here was grown from its seeds. The reason why it’s called usuzumi-zakura is because of how its blossoms take on a pale, ink-like color once they start falling.
One thing that I’m still wondering is why the cherry blossom tree still has leaves when it’s supposed to be deciduous. That said, this question and a couple of others all went to the back of my mind once I saw this really nice view from behind this stone lantern.
I’m again on the move with my next target being the Tenmangu Shrine that’s overlooking the Main Pond. As I was walking, I still came across these Old Days of Sankeien displays. This one talks about the Yuhigaoka hill as well as the Inarisha shrine that could be found there. Unfortunately, air raids in the 1940s resulted in the loss of the shrine.
Literally a couple of steps away from the Yuhigaoka display, I came across another detailing the road from the Kotaijingu to the Nankosha shrine. Apparently, this road is the one that I’ve been on for some time now though the mentioned shrines are nowhere to be found. It’s likely that both (together with the Inarisha shrine) were lost due to the Allied air raids in the 1940s.
In front of the displays is this area where you can sit and enjoy the view of the Main Pond as well as that of the Three-Story Pagoda. I’m also sure that once spring and summer rolls in, this would be a great place for hanami.
As I continued walking, I came across this display talking about Suginochaya. This was one of the tea stalls in the area when the Garden opened to the public. Apparently, its name came from the type of tree (sugi or cryptomeria) used for its roof, walls, and even supporting structures.
From the suginochaya display, I was able to take a glimpse of the Sankeien Tenmangu Shrine. I was expecting the shrine to be really big but it ended up being quite the opposite of my expectations. It does have the torii gate and some komainu standing guard over it.
Before going up the shrine, I came across this garden that has some plants and flowers that I’m not really familiar with. Aside from these, it also had a stone lantern and some dead tree trunks.
As with a lot of the attractions here, there’s a sign detailing the Sankeien Tenmangu Shrine’s history. Unlike the buildings that we’ve been through so far though, the shrine is relatively new and so its history is not as extensive. From what we know though, it was originally from the Takanashi Family’s Makado Tenjin and it got relocated here in 1976.
Here are the steps leading up to the shrine. I will say that it looks even smaller up close. In fact, the komainu seems to be much larger than the shrine itself.
Going up the shrine, I saw that one of the komainu is actually damaged with a huge chunk of its head missing. As to how it sustained this damage, I’m not really sure. The people I talked to about it had very little knowledge of the statue’s history.
This komainu on the other hand, looks like it’s still in top condition and could still chase away evil spirits that might wander around the shrine. Kidding aside though, it does look like it’s in a good condition despite some wear and tear on its body and face.
I’ve been so used to seeing red torii gates that the sight of this one here actually threw me off. I’m not sure how it ended up getting bleached white but if you look at the kasagi and nuki (top horizontal lintel and horizontal beam respectively), you’ll see the gate’s original red pigment.
After passing through the gate, I then approached the shrine itself. It’s actually quite cute and you can see that it’s very detailed. The equally cute saisenbako in front of it is where you can drop off your offering.
I was wracking my head as to what this was and I realized just now that I might have been a chozubachi. Yeah, thinking back, there weren’t any chozubachi or chozuya anywhere near the shrine itself as well as its premises.
With the visit to the Sankeien Tenmangu Shrine, I am now finally nearing the end of my visit here at Sankeien Garden. Before I leave though, I still want to see the view at the Kankatei Arbor. To get there, I need to walk past this bridge that’s conveniently close by the shrine.
After walking past the bridge, I’m now at Kankatei Arbor and boy does this look like a cool spot to rest. You really don’t see it in the picture but there was a gentle breeze here that made me feel somewhat at ease and refreshed even after all the walking I’d done for the day.
A great view of the Main Pond with the Sankei Memorial and the Kakushokaku buildings in the background. Off to the side you can see Kankatei Arbor which at this point in the day, is already covered in shade and is probably the best place to wind down. As for me, I’m now on the path leading to the Wisteria trellis I first saw when I entered Sankeien Garden in the first part of this review.
I’m now getting close to the entrance area as evidenced by this sign pointing me in that direction. If you’re wondering about the fence that’s off to the side, it’s actually a part of the garden’s car park’s fence.
And there’s the wisteria trellis I was talking about! This was honestly such a long yet fulfilling walk that I’d honestly do again if given the chance. Next time around though, I’d probably visit during one of the garden’s festivals or during the spring and summer seasons when the sakura are in full bloom.
And with this picture I now say goodbye to the Sankeien Garden and my duck friends over here. It took me two parts to fully showcase the garden’s beautiful scenery and I hope you enjoyed every minute of my journey through here in the same way that I did. In the first part of my review I said that this might be the most memorable park I’ve been in and that statement still holds true. If you have the time then I’d definitely recommend checking out Sankeien Garden when you’re in Yokohama (but don’t forget to include the Yamashita Park in your itinerary).
