Amazing AOMORI

The premises of the Miyakoshi family’s residence contain buildings such as a main house, a library, a rice storehouse, and an annex, as well as gardens. All are cultural properties with about a century of history, but the most notable among them are the annex “Shimuan” and the garden “Seisen’en.” Both were constructed in 1920 by the ninth head of the Miyakoshi family, Masaharu, for his wife Iwa.

Along with sumptuous fittings and furnishings, the Shimuan annex building features stunningly beautiful stained-glass windows combining traditional Japanese design with cutting-edge glass technology. They are considered to be masterpieces created by Sanchi Ogawa, one of the pioneers of stained glass in Japan.

The name of the garden, Seisen’en, means “gentle river garden” and is derived from the Ainu meaning of Oppetsu, the area where the Miyakoshi house is located. It is one of the most famous gardens in the western Tsugaru region. Three types of gardens—consisting of a garden in a style called Oishi Bugaku-ryu, a dry landscape garden, and a pond garden—surround the Shimuan annex building.

Come and enjoy beautiful stained glass and a famous garden with seasonal scenery at an elegant old house evoking the romanticism of the Taisho period (1912–1926).