Seisonkaku Villa
Seisonkaku Villa
4
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Seisonkaku Villa and nearby attractions
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,430 within 3 miles
Attractions
417 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
203 reviews
Excellent
89
Very good
77
Average
32
Poor
5
Terrible
0
vickiebypass
Stamford, CT321 contributions
Apr 2019 • Solo
I wanted to see this villa, SeisonKaku, located inside Kenrokuen Garden, which an emperor built for his mother-in-law in 1863. The description said it was very unusual because it has two floors - the first floor is more formal reception rooms and the second floor is family living - plus gardens and it’s the only surviving example of this kind of architecture.
I got a ¥100 discount on admission (one day bus pass, so the bus pass paid for itself at this point). I really enjoyed this place. They were having had an exhibit of 200 Goshi dolls that had been collected by member of the family. Goshi dolls look like little fat Japanese men with bald heads and a fringe of black hair; made of white bisque china; various sizes; and presumably they’re good luck charms. This house was very different from any other houses that I’ve seen so far; rooms are much bigger and ceilings are higher (on the first floor) so it was a very spacious feeling. The mother-in-law‘s area was at the back of the house and she had a big sitting room plus a smaller room which was probably her bedroom, both facing a wonderful garden that was the length of the house and her apartment. As always, there was a wooden porch all around the perimeter and it was built with nightingale floors that kind of sound like little birdies - they squeak when you walk on them, but it’s not just a squeak like old wooden floors often squeak; these were built & calibrated so that the squeaks sound more bird like. There were other rooms on the first floor: an unusually large reception room where the samurai would receive visitors (and his bodyguard stood) plus various other rooms. There was big wooden staircase to the second floor which looked very British – dark wood, thick, swooping bannister, curved steps. There were six or seven rooms and these were a world of difference from the first floor or anything else I’ve seen in Japan! The smaller rooms were painted in very dramatic colors ultra marine, red, purple, and black; they each had different types of ceilings - wicker work, lacquer etc. and again there was a wooden deck all the way around the 2nd floor so that you could walk around the entire floor on the wooden walkway (in the back, the walkway looked over the garden). There were other people in the house but no tours and I was usually alone in each room. This was one of the high points of my visit to Kanazawa.
I got a ¥100 discount on admission (one day bus pass, so the bus pass paid for itself at this point). I really enjoyed this place. They were having had an exhibit of 200 Goshi dolls that had been collected by member of the family. Goshi dolls look like little fat Japanese men with bald heads and a fringe of black hair; made of white bisque china; various sizes; and presumably they’re good luck charms. This house was very different from any other houses that I’ve seen so far; rooms are much bigger and ceilings are higher (on the first floor) so it was a very spacious feeling. The mother-in-law‘s area was at the back of the house and she had a big sitting room plus a smaller room which was probably her bedroom, both facing a wonderful garden that was the length of the house and her apartment. As always, there was a wooden porch all around the perimeter and it was built with nightingale floors that kind of sound like little birdies - they squeak when you walk on them, but it’s not just a squeak like old wooden floors often squeak; these were built & calibrated so that the squeaks sound more bird like. There were other rooms on the first floor: an unusually large reception room where the samurai would receive visitors (and his bodyguard stood) plus various other rooms. There was big wooden staircase to the second floor which looked very British – dark wood, thick, swooping bannister, curved steps. There were six or seven rooms and these were a world of difference from the first floor or anything else I’ve seen in Japan! The smaller rooms were painted in very dramatic colors ultra marine, red, purple, and black; they each had different types of ceilings - wicker work, lacquer etc. and again there was a wooden deck all the way around the 2nd floor so that you could walk around the entire floor on the wooden walkway (in the back, the walkway looked over the garden). There were other people in the house but no tours and I was usually alone in each room. This was one of the high points of my visit to Kanazawa.
Written May 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon H
Las Vegas, NV2,101 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
This beautiful villa was built in 1863 by Maeda Nari Yasu, 13th lord of the Kaga clan, for his mother, Shinryu-in, to retire in. The first floor was the guest area, finished in the formal state chamber style. Each room had an artistic theme—fish and seashells, tortoises, butterflies, and pine trees, respectively. The Ekken-no-ma (reception room) was the most formal of all, with colorful carpet, large chandeliers, lots of gold leaf, beautiful wallpaper, and delicate paintings. Upstairs, in the private quarters, the style was “sukiya-shoin” (a combination of samurai style and tea ceremony). It was much freer—more modern with brighter colors. The floors were plain, unvarnished wood with elaborate walls and ceilings. Each room had a very bright, colorful theme. The first was ultramarine blue, another (the reading room) had a blue celling and purple walls with a black alcove, and another was bright red. The rooms also had lovely glass panes imported from the Netherlands. This was unlike any mansion or palace we have ever seen—a truly wonderful experience!
Written August 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ancutza D
Brasov, Romania18 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
This gift of a Maeda Lord to his mother became a favorite retreat for many generations of privileged ladies of the Kaga clan. It is built to gladden the hearts of ladies: with exquisite attention to detail, plenty of symbolism and subtleties. The first floor is more typical of a lord's house, but the upper floor is quite unique due to its 'tea house' design and many exotic elements, such as the Afghan lapislazuli painted room and other adornments from as far away as the Netherlands. Hina dolls meant to represent the ladies of the family, or to keep evil spirits, or even devastating fires away, are displayed around the house. Keep an eye out for breathtaking kimonos, some of which contain patterns meant to keep evil spirits or even nightmares away. Others artfully illustrate Japanese stories or myths in astonishing details. We have visited at least a dozen historical or traditional villas on our trip to Japan. I would certainly include this in the top five and would not skip it. English texts explaining the history of the house and of its objects (a rarity in Japan) were also much appreciated.
Written September 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lee K
Lethbridge, Canada94 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
We have lived in Japan for 3 years now and have seen more than our share of samurai houses. This one is really worth seeing.
Written April 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
endis
Vilnius, Lithuania6,449 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
For the admission fee of ¥700 we found it to be somewhat boring with very limited English explanations about the history of the house and artifacts. No audio guide. Samurai house or Shima house were more interesting to visit.
Written November 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charles W
London, UK127 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
Virtually nothing inside this house to see - waste of time and money. Paper screens, Tatami mats, a few kimonos......yawn.
Written October 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fairtrader
north yorkshire, england432 contributions
Sep 2016 • Friends
So pleased we paid the money to see this beautiful house and it's gardens and exhibits. A very rare opportunity to get inside a quality building of this period. They had the summer kimonos on display which added extra interest.
Written October 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TeamBulmer
Sydney, Australia29 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
Seisonkaku is very interesting if you are interested in Japanese history, it is quite beautiful. However, it is quite expensive (700yen each) - I just don't feel 100% comfortable paying that much after already having payed to enter the park. Overall, I'm glad we went, but not sure I would recommend to budget conscious travelers.
Written September 30, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T-SGlobetrotters
Preston, UK4,149 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
The villa situated adjacent to Kenrokuen gardens started off as a retirement home for the mother of Maeda Nariyasu a former ruler. The tour which is unguided follows a set walking route but there is a small English language brochure given out on arrival which explains the key elements of the building and some of the things to look out for. The various decorations on the dividing screens are of particular note downstairs but the whole villa is a superb example of an exceptionally high level of craftsmanship with a 'money no object' ethos. The villa is on two floors and the colour scheme is much more dramatic upstairs.
The other main attraction are two miniature gardens which can be viewed from the veranda of the house. Attention to detail is amazing and sitting down to admire the vista with its trickling streams for a while is very calming.
Admission is by separate ticket not included in garden admission.
The other main attraction are two miniature gardens which can be viewed from the veranda of the house. Attention to detail is amazing and sitting down to admire the vista with its trickling streams for a while is very calming.
Admission is by separate ticket not included in garden admission.
Written November 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Honestcouple
Lancashire138 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
Easy to follow route around 10 sizeable rooms. The cobalt blue upstairs was stunning. Best of all were the numerous collections of dolls and miniatures which the family had looked after for centuries. (Hope they weren’t just on display for the Hina Matsuri when we visited in March). Wanted to buy a book or brochure, but, disappointingly, nothing in English.
Written June 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing