The Sankeien Garden is a traditional Japanese garden located in Yokohama's Naka Ward. The garden, which opened in 1906, was the creation of a wealthy businessman who used the space of the garden to reconstruct seventeen historical buildings brought from other cities such as Kyoto and Kamakura. Some areas of the garden are closed to the public during most of the year, but for a short period during the autumn you are permitted to enter these areas and enjoy the sight of the historical buildings here alongside with the autumn foliage.

The Tamozawa Imperial Villa  (Tamozawa Goyōtei 田母沢御用邸) is a must to stop by for visitors to Nikko who are interested in Japanese history. The story of the Imperial Villa goes back to 1632, when Empress Meisho ordered the construction of a building connected to the palace for her relatives situated in what today is Tokyo's Akasaka area. Parts of this building was deconstructed and moved to Nikko in 1899, where it was expanded to become the new Imperial Villa for Emperor Taisho. It was used as the summer residence of the imperial family for many years, until it became the hideaway of the Showa Emperor during World War 2. Since then the building was unused for many years and suffered severely from neglect, but was opened to the public in 2000 after it had undergone extensive renovation.

In addition to the summer house itself, you can also enjoy the garden surrounding the house, known as the Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park. We went for a small walk around the premise and were entertained by the view of a young girl walking around dressed up in her kimono by the nearby pond.