Samurai Tea Ceremony at Keiunkan—Learn from an Enshu School Master and Explore the Historic Garden

A Nagahama State Guest House for the Imperial Family and Government Officials

Keiunkan was constructed in 1887 as a guesthouse for Emperor Meiji during a trip to Kyoto. Wealthy Nagahama merchant Asami Matazō built it on his own land using his own funds, from cypress specially sourced from Owari. The building features a traditional Japanese architectural style, and is said to have been given its name by then-Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi.

The main structure is a wooden two-story building modeled on the formal shoin reception room style

Keiunkan later served as a villa for Matazo himself, in addition to being the town’s official guest house. In 1912, its current garden was completed by Matazo’s son, with a design by Ogawa Jihei VII, a pioneer of modern Japanese landscape design. In 2006, Keiunkan’s garden was nationally designated a Place of Scenic Beauty. Its roughly 6,000 square meter grounds are filled with things to see, retaining many vestiges of Meiji era culture and history.

The first floor’s large reception hall overlooking the garden

In this experience, you can enjoy an exclusive tour of the main building’s second floor, which features the Gyokuza-no-ma room where Emperor Meiji and his Empress rested briefly on their visit to Nagahama. At the time of construction, it offered gorgeous sightlines on Mt. Ibuki to the east and Lake Biwa to the southwest. Modern development has obscured this view of the lake, but the vantage point still offers an unparalleled view of the garden.

The Gyokuza-no-ma on the second floor

Stroll the Beautiful Garden Created by Ogawa Jihei VII

Keiunkan’s beautiful 6,000 square meter garden is one of its many charms, and this experience includes a guided, tranquil stroll across its grounds. The garden was created by Ogawa Jihei VII, a landscape gardener behind such notable others as the garden of Heian Shrine in Kyoto. Ogawa favored an unprecedented openness of layout that the Keiunkan garden superbly demonstrates.

The main garden is designed for strolling, with a dry pond bed as its centerpiece

The main garden unfolds to the south of the main building with a depth of topography built around a dry pond bed, featuring rocks and stones evocative of a waterfall, for an arresting visual atmosphere. It is overflowing with eye-catching features, including a 5-meter stone lantern in the front gate garden, and the largest stone monument in japan inscribed with a haiku by the famous poet Matsuo Bashō. Peruse its every nook and cranny at your leisure.

Some of the garden’s large stones had previous lives in castles

Tea Ceremony from an Enshu Style Master

After the tour of Keiunkan, the experience moves to the Keiro-an teahouse for a tea ceremony in a traditional samurai style. Keiro-an was constructed in 1887 along with the main building, and here you can learn tea ceremony from a master of the Nagahama-affiliated Enshu school.

A refined tea ceremony reflecting samurai tradition

The Enshu school of tea ceremony was founded by Kobori Enshu  from Kobori Village in Nagahama when the region was still known as Omi Province. After learning tea ceremony from Furuta Oribe, a direct disciple of the foundational master of modern wabi-cha tea ceremony Sen Rikyu, Enshu served as a tea ceremony instructor for the Tokugawa shogunate.

Discover traditional Japanese culture and Zen philosophy

This is a buke-sado, or warrior-style tea ceremony, so-called because of its associations with the samurai class, and the master demonstrates the characteristic grace of the style while making it more accessible with detailed commentary on the cultural traditions and Zen philosophy imbued within it by Kobori Enshu .

The joy of tea in a tranquil garden

A Peaceful Day of History and Tradition

Keiunkan embodies the elegance and history of the Meiji era. With this experience, explore the historic grounds at a relaxed pace, guided by special commentary that brings the past to life. Wabunka guests also have the rare opportunity to enjoy a tea ceremony within the garden of this historic venue. Immerse yourself in the serene atmosphere, surrounded by the beauty of Keiunkan and the art of tea.

Spectacular garden views from the main building’s second floor