For an off the beaten path experience in a stunning garden setting, we recommend visiting the Sankeien Garden Park in Yokohama. Japan is blessed with many outstanding gardens, and the most popular such as Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa can get overrun with tourists. So to get away from the crowds in Japan, check out Sankeien Garden Park Yokohama.
You’ll need to take a taxi or bus, but when you get to the end of the street and step into the gardens, you are transported to a quiet oasis. There is a large lake bordered by miles of foot paths winding through the woods, bamboo groves, up and down over bridges and such. This was the personal residence and gardens of Tomitaro Sankei, a wealthy silk merchant in the early 1900’s that was opened to the public in the late 30’s. He purchased nearly a dozen historically significant structures from around Japan, disassembled them, then rebuilt them here. Many of these date back to the early 1600’s and even a couple going back as far as the 1400’s. Many of them are designated as cultural assets of Japan. No one would ever be able to do this sort of thing these days due to antiquities laws and such. But back then, there were no laws, so this provides you an opportunity to see authentic tea houses, temples, houses and even a three story pagoda that was once in Kyoto, all in one convenient spot.
There are more than 43 acres to explore, and best of all, its not covered up with throngs of foreign tourists. This is one place you can visit more than once based on the calendar. It is an ideal place to come see the Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) in the spring and the blazing colors of the Japanese Maple trees in the fall. This is a hidden gem of Japan that you should put on your schedule when visiting Yokohama.
