A must visit destination in Niigata. This house used to be a private guest house of a wealthy merchant built in early 20th century. Now city owns and maintains it. The garden is so well maintained and it reminds me of some old temple in Kyoto. English speaking guides are available. There’s a resting area to sit down and look at the garden while drinking tea. Free parking available at the art museum that’s about five minutes walking distance.
A well preserved villa with a beautiful garden and interesting hanging scrolls. The sliding doors offer perfect frames to the views. We saw a crane and two crows fighting with the staff over the koi fishes in the pond. Not sure who will eventually win.
Loved this place. After the hustle and bustle of the city this historic Japanese House and garden was a have of tranquility. Lots of history and a truly remarkable building. We'll worth the small 300Y addition fee.
I almost made a huge mistake by trusting the reviews and nearly decided not to visit this place.
People who leave negative reviews probably just don’t know how to see beauty.
This place is an absolute must-visit if you love Japanese culture, gardens, and interiors, if you are interested in history, and if your heart knows how to feel.
The villa was built in 1918 to receive guests and was designed in the late Taishō style, where the house and the garden are experienced as one unified space.
Large windows and sliding doors create a seamless connection between the interior and the garden — when you are inside, it feels as if you are already outdoors.
The garden features a pond, a stream, small bridges, and a waterfall, as well as more than 80 types of trees and shrubs — pine, maple, bamboo, plum, and more.
Unfortunately, the maple leaves had already fallen, but it was still incredibly beautiful.
The villa is considered an important cultural heritage site of Japan and is officially designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty (国指定名勝).
The entrance fee is only 300 yen, yet the beauty is worth a million.
When people say it is very small — are you serious? I spent 50 minutes walking through the villa, examining every detail of this magical place, and couldn’t tear myself away.
Absolutely worth visiting.
A must visit when in Niigata! The place itself is gorgeous, but what made it really special is the personell working there. There were to seniors, which already retired, but work there sometimes. They both talked English and showed me around and explained every room. They went out of their way to make sure I had the best experience ever. Even printed put a paper for me to help me find the Japanese tea I was looking for (which I did, thanks a lot for that!). I hope to everyone who visited that they lucky enough to have them as tour guides as well! Thanks for the memorable experience.. Greetings from the swiss guy ☺️🙏
