Sankeien Garden

In short

Sankeien Garden is a Japanese garden next to Hiroshima Airport. Built in 1993 to commemorate the opening of Hiroshima Airport, it is a tsukiyama chisen kaiyushiki (strolling garden with artificial hills and ponds) covering approximately 6 hectares, and it recreates three landscapes of Hiroshima, the mountains, the village, and the sea, using Japanese garden design techniques.

• ​Mountain, Village, and Sea Zones​​: The Mountain Zone features Sandan Falls with a drop of approximately 14 meters, and the Village Zone has bamboo and plum groves and a maple valley
• ​Chokentei in the Sea Zone​​: The Sea Zone, representing the Seto Inland Sea, features Chokentei, a sukiya-style building set over the water reminiscent of Miyajima
• ​Seasonal flowers and festivals​​: A plum festival is held in March, a flower festival showcasing 10,000 hydrangeas of 100 varieties in June, and an autumn leaves festival in November

History and Highlights

​Sankeien Garden​ is a Japanese garden located next to Hiroshima Airport. Built in 1993 to commemorate the opening of Hiroshima Airport, it is a tsukiyama chisen kaiyushiki (strolling garden with artificial hills and ponds) covering an area of approximately 6 hectares.

Hiroshima Prefecture is situated on the south side of the Chugoku Mountains, backed by undulating, lush forests and home to numerous valleys. Nostalgic satoyama (rural countryside) landscapes are dotted among the valleys, and along the coast are many scenic spots of the Seto Inland Sea, epitomized by Miyajima. Sankeien Garden recreates these landscapes using Japanese garden design techniques. The garden consists of three zones—mountain, village, and sea—and was named "Sankeien" after these three scenic realms of Hiroshima.

Viewing and Experience Highlights

• ​Mountain Zone and Sandan Falls​​: Utilizing the natural forest, the Mountain Zone features Sandan Falls with a drop of approximately 14 meters.
• ​Village Zone​​: Designed with the image of a rural satoyama village, this zone features bamboo and plum groves, the "Sato-no-Ike" reservoir pond, and a maple valley.
• ​Sea Zone and Chokentei​​: Representing the Seto Inland Sea, the Sea Zone features a large body of water with a cluster of small islands and bridges, as well as Chokentei, a sukiya-style building set over the water reminiscent of Miyajima.

Walking Tips

Visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers and scenery throughout the year. A plum festival is held in March; fresh greenery, peonies, and azaleas in May; a flower festival showcasing 10,000 hydrangeas of 100 varieties in June; and an autumn leaves festival in November. The flower festival and the autumn leaves festival are the two major events. During the autumn leaves festival, there are also days when light-up displays featuring autumn foliage, bamboo lanterns, light, and sound are held.

The garden is about a 5-minute walk from the Hiroshima Airport terminal building. By car, it takes about 5 minutes from either the Kochi Interchange or the Hongo Interchange on the Sanyo Expressway to the parking lots around Sankeien Garden. Because Sankeien Garden only has parking spaces for people with disabilities, visitors arriving by car should use the parking lots at Chuo Forest Park or Hiroshima Airport. Combining your visit with Buttsu-ji Temple, a famous spot for autumn foliage, and the Mihara Castle Ruins, also known as Ukishiro (floating castle), is also recommended.