What is Sankeien Garden?

Do you know about Sankeien garden in Hiroshima Prefecture Mihara City which is within walking distance from Hiroshima Airport? At the mention of Hiroshima, famous places like Peace Memorial Park, A-bomb Dome or Miyajima would probably come to mind. The area around Hiroshima Airport is usually regarded by many as a place which you would hardly associate with tourism. However, Sankeien which is within walking distance from the airport, is such a charming place that should definitely be included in your itinerary.

Measuring About 6 Hectares

The garden spans 6 hectares and is even larger than Tokyo Dome and about 3 times bigger than MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima.

A Corridor Style Similar to Itsukushima Shrine

Sankeien was built in the Tsukiyama Chisen Kaiyu style i.e. traditional Japanese garden, and it is depicted as scenic spots of Hiroshima. The corridors which are designed with Itsukushima Shrine in mind.
There are seats all around so you can admire the scenery from various perspectives at different spots within the garden.

The Three Views; Mountain, Land and Sea

The garden represents three key views i.e. mountain, village and sea so you will be able to enjoy the views of buildings, ponds, seasonal flowers and trees which are arranged in such a way to represent them.

Regardless of which season you come by, you can enjoy a different perspective of the same garden.

There are also many events held throughout the year such as the plum blossom festival in March, the flower festival in June and the autumn foliage festival in November.

What to See

Shiomitei

This sukiya-style (tea ceremony hut) building made of Japanese cypress is located at the front of the garden and has a floor area of 611 square meters.

You may reserve the Japanese-style room for meals, enjoy matcha and snacks at the café while admiring the views or buy some local souvenirs at the shop.

Ooumi

In Ooumi which means ocean in Japanese, there are about 500 carps swimming in the pond. If you try feeding them, the carps swarming towards the food will be an amazing sight to behold.

During autumn, the foliage gets reflected on the water surface thus making the view even more spectacular especially if the weather is fine with no wind.

In winter, be treated to the unusual view of this frozen pond. As this area hardly has any snowfall, you should really count your lucky stars if you do manage to come here on a snowy winter day and catch a glimpse of the garden covered in snow.

Sandan no Taki

This beautiful three-step waterfall located at the heart of the mountain zone is so pretty and healing.

Momijidani

As the name suggests, this is a valley which has about 150 maple trees. During the autumn foliage season in November, be treated to a galore of vibrant colors in red, yellow and orange.

This beautiful view is what makes Sankeien a hot spot for viewing the autumn leaves which will be lit up during the autumn foliage festival.

Gessoutei

This pavilion was named as such to represent the view of the moon’s reflection on the surface of the pond which will make you want to row a boat out to admire it. For those who hold their weddings here, they can also ride the hanayomebune i.e. bride’s boat at this romantic spot just like that featured in the fairy tale “Kaguyahime”.

Ajisai-en

Come June every year, be awed by the sight of about 10,000 hydrangea shrubs from 100 varieties in full bloom here. Although the month is generally marked by rainy weather and not seen as a suitable period for travelling, you can get a wonderful view of the hydrangeas which will be worth seeing even in the rain.

Ume-en

There are about 70 plum trees which will begin to bloom from early March. The plum blossom festival is held when the flowers are in full bloom which also signals the arrival of spring.

Shoubuda

Just next to Ajisai-en is Shoubuda, a field filled with 14 types of about 2,000 iris shrubs of different colors and appearances. These flowers bloom in June just like the hydrangeas thus making the garden look extremely beautiful during this season.

How to Get There

By Bus

Fare: ￥1,340      Time: 1 hour

Hiroshima Station Shinkansen-guchi or Hiroshima Bus Center↓ Hiroshima Airport	Limousine Bus to Hiroshima Airport (via expressway) *Frequency at 2 to 3 trips per hour	￥1,340
↓ Sankeien Garden	5mins walk

Refer to this link for the limousine bus schedule

Sankeien Garden
Address	64-24, Zennyuji, Hongo-cho, Mihara City, Hiroshima (map)
Open	April to September: 9:00am – 6:00pm October to March: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Closed	Late December
Website	TripAdvisor
Entrance Fee	Adults: ￥260 Primary and junior high students: ￥130