Okochi Sanso

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The foreground and background become one in the magnificent view from Gekkotei tea arbor

A famed landscape garden created by a famed Showa-era actor

Covering some 20,000 square meters on the southern incline of Mount Ogura, this villa garden was lovingly and painstakingly created over 30 years by the Showa-era actor Denjiro Okochi from the age of 34 until his death at 64. The extensive views of the surrounding countryside and mountains are breathtaking, and, it is said, these were what captivated the actor and kept him at work in his garden.
Visitors making their way to Okochi Sanso will find themselves treading a path through Sagano bamboo grove until they come to a large black gateway that gives way to the strolling garden dotted with sentinel stone lanterns and leading to Daijo-kaku, the main part of Okochi’s villa - in a fusion of ancient architectural styles: shinden-zukuri and shoin-zukuri. The garden also has a jibutsudo (a small Buddhist shrine), soan-style tea arbor Tekisuian and then Gekkotei, close to the brow of the tor, where magnificent views await. From here, the last call is the Denjiro Okochi archive, with panel explanations and photos revealing his life.