Amazing AOMORI

Seibien is said to embody the essence of the Būgaku style and is counted among Japan’s three great gardens of the Meiji period. The Būgaku style is believed to have originated in the early Edo period, when court nobles who had left Kyoto blended Kyoto-style Buddhist culture with local Shinto traditions.

The garden was created by Seibi, the 24th head of the Seito family, who invited the garden master Kobata Teiju. Construction began in 1902 and took nine years to complete, covering an area of approximately 3,600 tsubo (or 1.2 hectares). 

The garden is designed around a central pond and is composed of three sections: shin, gyō, and sō, named for a traditional Japanese aesthetic classification representing formal, semi-formal, and informal styles. 

At its centre are two tiers —a pond and a dry landscape pond. Within the pond, an island representing the realm of immortals is set, on which stands a pine tree known as Hōrai no Matsu.

The garden features landscaped hills expressing shin and gyō, complemented by pines, maples, and azaleas that enrich its seasonal beauty. The sō section is a flat garden, highlighted by an impressive large-scale topiary of yew trees, thought to represent the deities of creation. 

From the Western-style pavilion (Seibikan), you can enjoy sweeping views of the open central garden framed by the Tsugaru countryside and distant mountains as borrowed scenery. Designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty, the garden offers something to enjoy in every season. Please come and experience it for yourself.