Garden

MU-AN

Mu-an

Originally built by Yokohama silk merchant Tanaka Heihachi, this teahouse was purchased by Kuhara Fusanosuke, who decided to move it entirely to its current location, rather than dismantling it, as he felt that "dismantling it would upset the structure." There is also an anecdote that when the teahouse was moved, all of the telegraph poles that got in the way of transportation were removed. Currently, you can enjoy the tea ceremony and tea ceremony in a tatereiseki style or on tatami mats.

SUICHIN

Mizutei

Long ago, there was a swamp in the hilly area near the current HAPPO-EN, and the river that flowed from there became the pond. From Mizutei, which overlooks the pond, you can see the graceful swimming carp and the flying waterfowl.

KAKUTEI

Corner pavilion

HAPPO-EN Garden is dotted with four gazebos: the square pavilion, the hexagonal pavilion, the round pavilion, and the water pavilion. The window frames of the square pavilions frame the scenery like a picture, allowing you to enjoy the natural scenery as a changing painting.

Main Gate

Main Gate

The main gate welcomes you with its imposing appearance. It was built at the beginning of the Meiji period in a style somewhere between a "daimyomon" and a "shoyamon" (village headman's gate). It originally had a thatched roof, but it was damaged in an earthquake and now has a tiled roof.

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KOCHUAN

This building was built as the private residence of Fusanosuke Kuhara, who was involved in the founding of Hitachi, Ltd. The name "KOCHUAN" comes from a Chinese legend that says, "Inside a jar is a paradise where immortals live." In the garden, there is still a cantaloupe tree that is said to have been bestowed directly by Tokugawa Iemitsu, who served the first owner, Okubo Hikozaemon.

Bonsai Display

bonsai

Bonsai Street is lined with historic bonsai trees, including the oldest, the Shinjaku (Chinese cypress) and the Yezo pine, both of which are around 525 years old. Shinjaku trees are said to be living art, as they represent the coexistence of life and death. Most of the bonsai trees are pine trees, but there are also fruit trees such as quince, Hime apples, and Hime persimmons, and if you look closely, you can feel the change of seasons.

KIDO Gate

Kido Gate

The Kidomon gate at the entrance to the garden was built in accordance with the bushido saying, "Begin with courtesy and end with courtesy." The gate was purposely made low so that when you pass through it, you naturally bow as you proceed. The early-blooming Kawazu cherry blossoms hanging above the gate are at their best from mid- to late February and are a popular photo spot in the garden.

KAHOU-AN

KAHOU-AN

KAHOU-AN is a tea house named after "Kahou," the pen name of Fusanosuke Kuhara. Though no longer in use today, a glimpse inside reveals the features of an authentic tea house, including its nijiriguchi crawl-through entrance.