Seibien

Seibien was created by Seito Morimi in the Meiji era (1868-1912), and is highly regarded as one of the best gardens of the Oishi Bugaku school, with a pond and dry landscape garden.

The garden, which spreads over a vast area of 3,600 tsubo (1.2 hectares), was created over a period of nine years starting in 1902.

Designated as a national place of scenic beauty, it is known as one of the three best gardens of the Meiji period along with Murinan and Seifuso in Kyoto.

Image of the setting for the Ghibli movie

This beautiful landscape of Japanese and Western styles is notable as the reference location for the setting of Studio Ghibli’s animated film “The Borrower Arrietty.

Seibikan and Gohoden

Seibikan, located within Seibien, is an unusual building that blends Japanese and Western styles, with the first floor being a purely Japanese style and the second floor a beautiful fusion of Western styles.

The Gohouden is the Seito family’s mortuary tablet hall, covered with gold leaf and decorated with gorgeous maki-e lacquerware.

The maki-e lacquer-work of a peacock on a cherry tree is the largest of its kind in Japan and is considered to be the pinnacle of lacquer art. The hall is open to the public every 30 minutes for about 3 minutes during the opening hours of the museum.