Hello! (@chiropiyo0331) here.
Sankeien is a Japanese garden of 175,000 square meters built by Hara Sankei, a Yokohama businessman who made his fortune in silk reeling and raw silk trading from the late Meiji era through the Taisho era, in a valley area facing Tokyo Bay known as Sannotani.
In the outer garden area, opened to the public in 1906 (Meiji 39), a Muromachi-period three-story pagoda moved from Tomyoji Temple in Kyoto stands as a landmark, and you can enjoy seasonal flowers all year round, such as plum and cherry blossoms, iris, and lotus.
This time I’ll introduce how to enjoy Sankeien cheaply, how crowded the parking lot gets, and the highlights of Sankeien.
Sankeien Admission Fees
First, let’s check Sankeien’s admission fee.
Sankeien Admission Fee
The fees went up on October 1, 2023.
| Admission | Adults (high school age and up) | Elementary and junior high school students |
|---|---|---|
| General (9 or fewer people) | 900 yen | 200 yen |
| Group (10 or more people) | 800 yen | 100 yen |
| Yokohama residents aged 65 and over | 700 yen | |
| Coupon book (5 tickets) | 3,000 yen | 500 yen |
| Annual passport | 2,500 yen | 700 yen |
Japan has many gardens, and while some cost less than 700 yen, others are expensive at over 1,000 yen.
Sankeien’s admission fee can be called about average.
Sankeien Parking and Parking Fees
The fees went up on October 1, 2023.
| Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Passenger car | 1,000 yen for the first 2 hours |
| 200 yen per 30 minutes thereafter | |
| Maximum 1,000 yen per day | |
| Bus | 1,000 yen |
Sankeien has a dedicated parking lot. It has only 80 spaces, so you may end up using nearby parking lots.
How to Get Into Sankeien Cheaply
There are a few ways to lower the Sankeien admission fee even a little.
Sankeien Official Discount Ticket
You can lower the admission fee by using the discount ticket issued by Sankeien and distributed at accommodations in Yokohama.
| Admission | Adults (high school age and up) | Elementary and junior high school students |
|---|---|---|
| General (9 or fewer people) | 600 yen (100 yen off) | 100 yen (100 yen off) |
Because it presupposes staying at the accommodation, it isn’t easy to use casually and the discount isn’t large, so it isn’t very practical.
> Search for hotels around Sankeien
Discount for People with Disabilities
If you have a disability certificate, show it at reception and admission is free for you and one caregiver.
Second and Fourth Saturdays of Each Month
Admission is free for elementary, junior high, and high school students on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.
This service ended on September 30, 2023.
asoview!
You can lower the admission fee by buying a coupon on Asoview and showing it at the ticket window.
Adult admission, normally 900 yen, can be bought for 740 yen 18% OFF.
During the autumn foliage season some people even wait for the gates to open, so I recommend getting tickets in advance.
JAF Members
JAF members can show their JAF membership card at the ticket window to get 100 yen off admission for one group including the member.
Kanagawa Kenmin Kyosai Wakaba Card
Show the Wakaba Card at the ticket window to get 100 yen off admission for one group including the member.
It can’t be used unless you’re a Kanagawa Prefecture resident.
Benefit One Members
“Benefit Station” is known as a corporate employee benefits service.
Benefit One members can show the Sankeien coupon screen at the ticket window to get 100 yen off admission for one group including the member.
It depends on your employer, so many people won’t be able to use it.
Please note that separate payments aren’t possible with this payment method.
Beware of Crowding and Full Parking at Sankeien’s Dedicated Parking Lot
There’s a dedicated parking lot beside Sankeien’s main gate, but on weekends with calm weather good for strolling, and during the cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons, it’s often full, so be careful.
In high season, using public transportation is the safer choice.
On weekends with calm weather ideal for strolling, the lot tends to be full by around 9:30 a.m., and a guard announces that it’s full before the lot, so it’s best to arrive at opening time.
In that case, you’re directed to the Honmoku Citizens’ Park parking lot and told to enter through the south gate rather than the main gate.
Parking at Honmoku Citizens’ Park is 200 yen for the first hour, then 100 yen per 30 minutes.
The guard at the parking lot told me this repeatedly, so I’ll share it: 10,000-yen, 5,000-yen, and 2,000-yen bills can’t be used to pay the parking fee.
Make sure to have coins and 1,000-yen bills before you set out.
Highlights of Sankeien
Sankeien is made up of two areas: the outer garden area, with the three-story pagoda known as its landmark, and the inner garden area, used as the Hara family’s private garden.
The main gate is at the lower right; passing the large pond, the Sankei Memorial Hall is in front of you, with the inner garden area on its right and the outer garden area on its left.
Sankeien Highlight ①: Kakushokaku
The largest building in Sankeien, a Yokohama City-designated tangible cultural property said to have an exterior reminiscent of a crane in flight.
Built in 1902 (Meiji 35) as the home of the businessman Hara Sankei, it is where the 20 years of Sankeien’s development began.
You can even hold a fully private wedding here. On this day it happened to be rented out for a wedding.
Sankeien Highlight ②: Sankei Memorial Hall
The Sankeien Memorial Hall has exhibits such as an introduction to the history of how Sankeien was built and the Sankeien haiku exhibition.
The sky was unfortunately cloudy, but the view of the garden from inside the hall is full of charm.
Sankeien Highlight ③: Shofukaku (Observation Deck)
A villa built around 1887 (Meiji 20) by Zenzaburo, the first head of the Hara family, said to have been named by Ito Hirobumi.
You can enjoy a superb view of Tokyo Bay, so it was used as a place to entertain important guests.
The building was lost in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, and the current observation deck was built in 1964.
From the observation deck you can see the Boso Peninsula, the Miura Peninsula, Hakkeijima, and Mt. Fuji.
The area spreading out in front is the JXTG Energy Negishi Refinery.
Sankeien Highlight ④: Former Tomyoji Three-Story Pagoda
A three-story pagoda is a temple structure for housing the bones of Buddha and saints; this one is a Muromachi-period building moved from Tomyoji Temple in present-day Kizugawa City, Kyoto, and is the oldest in Sankeien.
It is registered as a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
The area around the three-story pagoda, called the outer garden, has steep stairs, so I recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes.
Sankeien Highlight ⑤: Former Yabara Residence
A gassho-zukuri farmhouse that was part of Hida Shirakawa-go, in present-day Shokawa-cho, Takayama City.
It was reportedly moved to Sankeien because it stood in an area to be submerged by the construction of a dam.
You can tour the interior and catch a glimpse of life at the time, with folk tools gathered from the Hida region, a hearth with a fire burning, and blackened pillars.
Sankeien Cherry Blossoms
Sankeien is a cherry blossom spot, with about 250 cherry trees in bloom from early March to mid-April.
Besides Somei-Yoshino and Yaezakura (double-flowered cherry), you can see varieties rarely seen in the Kanto region, such as Usuzumizakura II, Shokawazakura II, and Yanaizutakakuwahoshizakura, and many tourists visit every year.
It’s sure to be crowded, so get your admission ticket on the web in advance!
Cherry Blossom Varieties You Can Enjoy at Sankeien
| Flower Name | Location | March | April | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early | Mid | Late | Early | Mid | ||
| Ookanzakura | Shunsoro (tea house) | 🌸 | ||||
| Usuzumizakura II | In front of the former Tomyoji main hall, near the wisteria trellis at the front | 🌸 | ||||
| Shokawazakura II | Near the Former Yabara Residence (gassho-zukuri) | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | ||
| Oshimazakura | In front of Rinshunkaku, near Karigane Chaya (Karigane teahouse) | 🌸 | 🌸 | |||
| Somei-Yoshino | Around the large pond | 🌸 | 🌸 | |||
| Yahebinishidare | Yatsuhashi bridge, around Kakushokaku, etc. | 🌸 | 🌸 | |||
| Yamazakura | Near Hatsune Teahouse | 🌸 | ||||
| Yanaizutakakuwahoshizakura | Inner garden entrance, near Shukatei | 🌸 | 🌸 | |||
| Yaezakura | Near the Former Yabara Residence (gassho-zukuri) | 🌸 | ||||
You can view 9 varieties in all.
Late March to early April is when you can see the most varieties at once, so it’s recommended!
Time Needed at Sankeien
On my first visit to Sankeien, the actual time it took to stroll the whole garden was as follows.
| Activity | Time Required |
|---|---|
| Main gate → Kakushokaku → Sankei Memorial Hall | 30 minutes |
| Sankei Memorial Hall → Rinshunkaku / Hakuun-tei → Chokushukaku | 20 minutes |
| Chokushukaku → Former Tenzuiji Jukuto Fukudo → Kaigan-mon gate | 15 minutes |
| Kaigan-mon gate → Shofukaku (observation deck) → Former Tomyoji Three-Story Pagoda | 20 minutes |
| Former Tomyoji Three-Story Pagoda → Rindoan → Former Yabara Residence | 20 minutes |
Adding up the route above, the time needed to stroll Sankeien is 105 minutes.
If you spend time taking photos or tour every building in Sankeien, you’ll need more time than the above, and it’s expected to exceed 120 minutes.
Conversely, if you focus your stroll only on the highlights, an hour should be enough.
Access to Sankeien
| Name | Sankeien |
| Address | 58-1 Honmoku Sannotani, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0824 |
| Phone | 045-621-0635 |
| Hours | 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30) |
| Official Website | www.sankeien.or.jp |
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