Yamagata Prefecture
Taste the life of the elite in the Homma Museum.
If you’re wanting a taste of life for the elite in Japan from the 18th Century, the Homma Museum and adjacent Seienkaku Villa and accompanying Kakubuen Gardens are an excellent spot.
Firstly, the Homma Museum of Sakata City is full of artworks and artifacts that were owned by the once-wealthiest family in all of Japan, such as Samurai armor, and other works from throughout the country.
Quick Info
Cost
General Entry: 1000 yen
University Students: 450 yen
Elementary and Middle School Students: Free
1600 yen for a combined ticket that includes entry into the Homma Museum of Art and Homma Historical Residence
2200 for a combined ticket that includes entry into the Homma Museum of Art, Sakata City Museum of Art and Ken Domon Memorial Museum.
500 yen for a sweet and green tea or coffee set at Seienkaku
Opening Hours
9:00am to 5:00pm
Average Duration
1 hour
Address
〒998-0024 Yamagata-ken, Sakata-shi, Onarichō, 7−7
Other tips
The Homma Museum, Seienkaku Villa, and Kakubuen Gardens are located a short five-minute walk from Sakata station.
Seienkaku
Take a short walk to the right of the museum, and you will come across the Kakubuen Gardens that lead you to the villa named Seienkaku. Take a stroll around the garden, and be sure to notice the circular rock, which when viewed through shows the Tohoku Region’s very own Mt. Fuji, Mt. Chokai.
Seienkaku was built by the fourth generation of the Homma Family, Mitsumichi Homma, in 1813 as a rest spot for Lord Sakai of the Shonai Clan. The architecture is of the Kyoto style, and of special interest are the Ranma, wooden partitions above the sliding doors, whose shadows cast shapes that cannot be seen in the partitions themselves. The room on the second floor has a wall that turns into clouds as you step back, and this room once even hosted the Emperor of Japan, Emperor Showa in 1925.
Seienkaku also offers green tea or coffee with an accompanying sweet, great for a relaxing time by the garden!
