Kashiwazaki – Gardens, Tea and Parks

When planning a trip to Kashiwazaki, you can explore a range of themes: garden design and history, tea, reconstructed rooms and parkland. You can organize your interests around whether you want to focus mainly on a garden, a tea and garden experience, a room reconstruction or a park.

Shounzan-so: Strolling Garden and History

Shounzan-so is a strolling garden laid out from 1926 by the second generation of the Hasuike gardening family in Higashihoncho. Both the garden’s form and its origins are central: a specific gardening family is associated with the garden’s beginnings, and the term “strolling garden” points to a particular way of experiencing it. A strolling garden is designed to be enjoyed while walking through it; the focus is on the garden as a route, not just on a single viewpoint. This gives you two clear points of interest: its historical beginnings in 1926 and the idea of experiencing the garden on foot. If you are interested in garden design, these perspectives come together at Shounzan-so.

Tea and Garden at the Kimura Tea Ceremony Museum

At the Kimura Tea Ceremony Museum, you can enjoy a bowl of tea using a tea bowl from the collection, described as worthy of being a National Treasure, while also experiencing the garden. The tea bowl is therefore not just an item in the collection, but part of a shared experience involving tea and the garden. The emphasis is not simply on viewing an item in the collection: tea and the garden experience are both part of it. This offers a distinct cultural focus for your trip, different from viewing reconstructed rooms. Check the museum’s current visiting information before your trip.

Reconstructed Rooms at the Donald Keene Center

The Donald Keene Center Kashiwazaki has a reconstructed exhibition space featuring a study and living room from Donald Keene’s home in New York. The reconstruction therefore brings together two different domestic spaces: a study and a living room. The focus is on the spatial presentation of these areas, distinguishing it from the tea and garden experience at the Kimura Tea Ceremony Museum. If you are interested in a reconstruction of living and working spaces, the Center offers a clearly defined theme. Check the Center’s current visiting information before your visit.

Walking Paths and Views at Akasakayama Park

Akasakayama Park has walking paths, a stream, lawns and a viewpoint overlooking the city and the Sea of Japan. These features represent different aspects of the park: the walking paths offer a chance to walk, while the viewpoint brings together views of the city and the sea; the stream and lawns are also part of the grounds. Unlike the museums, the focus here is on the parkland and its views, rather than a tea experience or a reconstruction. This lets you distinguish an outdoor focus from the cultural offerings when planning your trip.

The two garden experiences serve different purposes: Shounzan-so is itself a strolling garden, while at the Kimura Tea Ceremony Museum the garden is part of a tea experience. This makes it possible to distinguish a focus on gardening from a shared tea and garden experience.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Niigata, Nagaoka, Tsubame, Sekikawa, Murakami, Sado, Jōetsu, Yuzawa

For the main travel overview: Niigata Prefecture.