Soraiken Garden

Soraiken was the villa of the Hashimoto family, influential figures in the Edo period. The family carried out coastal land reclamation projects that laid the foundation for the cityscape that remains today. During the Meiji period, they also became prominent in the business world, including serving as the presidents of Hiroshima Prefecture’s first bank, and established themselves as leading merchants of the region.
The garden at Soraiken incorporates features that make use of its seaside location, including a boat landing used to welcome guests arriving by sea and a pond whose appearance changes with the tides.
Within the garden stands a tea house called “Myoki-an,” modeled after “Myoki-an Tai-an” in Kyoto. Tai-an was designed by Sen no Rikyū and is designated as a National Treasure.
The Myoki-an at Soraiken is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Onomichi City and still preserves the atmosphere of the time when it was built in 1850.