Sankeien Garden, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty in Yokohama's Naka Ward, will open the interior of Kakushoukaku (鶴翔閣), a Yokohama City Designated Tangible Cultural Property, from Sunday, August 9 to Sunday, August 16, 2026. Visitors will be able to view the building that Sankeien's founder, Hara Sankei, built as his own home and lived in with his family. On Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15, a free rubbing-making workshop using roof tiles once used on the garden's buildings will also be held, and on Sunday, August 16, a dance performance by Yokohama geisha set to a kouta (小唄) whose lyrics Sankei himself wrote will be offered, also free of charge.
The event offers a chance to experience Sankeien Garden's 120-year history this summer.
Special Opening of Kakushoukaku
Dates: Sunday, August 9 to Sunday, August 16, 2026
Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Fee: Free (garden admission fee charged separately)
About Kakushoukaku
Kakushoukaku was built in 1902 as the residence of founder Hara Sankei, and it went on to serve as the foothold for the 20-year construction of Sankeien Garden that followed. Built in the style of a farmhouse centered on a large thatched roof, the building was altered as the war intensified, but was restored to its original form in 2000. Inside, the simply built rooms include a storehouse that once held Sankei's art collection and a wing where artists and cultural figures such as Yokoyama Taikan and Maeda Seison gathered — a space of considerable historical value.
Workshop: "Rubbing-Making" (Takuhon-zukuri)
Visitors can hold roof tiles once used on the garden's historic buildings, view them up close, and try transferring their patterns and characters onto washi paper. Volunteers will be on hand to help, so young children are welcome to take part.
Date: Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15
Time: 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM (each session takes about 15 minutes)
Venue: Kakushoukaku's Chanoma-tō (茶の間棟)
Fee: Free (garden admission fee charged separately)
Registration: No reservation required; the workshop ends once materials run out
Talk and Performance: "Fukkou Kouta Hama Jiman" (復興小唄 濱自慢)
Hara Sankei was active across many fields, including raw silk production and trade and support for the arts and culture, and made major contributions to the recovery from the Great Kanto Earthquake. To help restore the spirits of Yokohama's residents, Sankei himself wrote the lyrics for the kouta "Fukkou Kouta Hama Jiman," which will be introduced through a dance performance by Yokohama geisha. A talk by Saigo Makiko (西郷槇子), Hara Sankei's great-granddaughter, on the subjects of Hara Sankei, Sankeien Garden, and Yokohama culture will also be held.
Date: Sunday, August 16
Time: 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM (each session about 15 minutes)
Venue: Kakushoukaku's Rakushitsu-tō (楽室棟)
Fee: Free (garden admission fee charged separately)
Registration: No reservation required
Planning and cooperation: Yokohama Geisha Support Project
Sankeien Garden
58-1 Honmoku Sannotani, Naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0824
Official website: https://www.sankeien.or.jp
