Enchoen

EnchoenChinese gardenLake TogoYurihamaHebei

Tottori · Yurihama

35.4688°N, 133.8928°E

Tottori has a sister-province relationship with Hebei, and in 1995 it built the largest authentic Chinese garden in Japan on the shore of Lake Togo to mark it. Enchoen is imperial-style — the pavilions, roofs and painted galleries follow the conventions of the gardens around Beijing rather than the scholar gardens of the south — and the components were designed in China and assembled by Chinese craftsmen.

It is a genuinely odd thing to encounter beside a lake in San'in, and it is well done. The walk takes about an hour, there are Chinese costume rentals and regular acrobatic and instrument performances, and a roadside station attached to it. The lake outside has hot springs rising through its bed, so there is a free public foot bath a short walk away.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Last entry 4:30 PM

Closed: Closed the fourth Tuesday of January and February, or the following day when it is a holiday

Entrance Fee

¥500 high school students and above | ¥200 elementary and junior high school students | Group rates available

Best Season

Year-round | Spring and autumn for the garden planting

Visit Duration

60–90 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

565-1 Hikichi, Yurihama, Tohaku District, on the shore of Lake Togo. Open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with last entry at 4:30 PM. Closed the fourth Tuesday of January and February, or the following day when it is a holiday. Admission ¥500 for high school students and above and ¥200 for elementary and junior high school students, with group rates of ¥450 and ¥180 for ten or more and ¥400 and ¥160 for twenty or more.

Insider Guide

Premium

**It is imperial style, not scholar style.** Painted galleries, heavy roofs and symmetry follow the Beijing convention rather than the Suzhou one. Knowing the difference makes the garden legible rather than merely large. **Only two closed days a year.** The fourth Tuesday of January and of February. Otherwise it is open every day. **Performances are scheduled.** Acrobatics and Chinese instrumental music run at set times; check the day's schedule on arrival rather than wandering in and out. **Costume rental exists and people use it.** Hire is available on site and is the main reason the garden fills at weekends. **Walk to the lake foot bath.** Lake Togo has hot springs rising in the lakebed and there is a free public foot bath on the shore nearby.

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