Former Hosokawa Residence (Wakeijuku Main Hall)
This season's opening
Wakeijuku Main Hall (former Hosokawa residence) open days
- Hours
- 1 and 15 Oct, 5 and 19 Nov, 3 and 17 Dec (all Thursdays). Meet at 14:00; about an hour.
- Admission
- ¥1,000 plus tax
- Booking
- Booking requiredApply by return postcard or email with date, party size, name, address, phone, age and occupation (no phone bookings). 20 per tour; closes when full.
A guided visit to the normally closed 1936 Hosokawa mansion and its grounds.
Photos are allowed but not for posting online. You finish just after 15:00; walk on to the Higo-Hosokawa Garden, where Shoseikaku serves matcha until 16:00.
About the garden
A Tudor-style mansion built in 1936 for Hosokawa Moritatsu, 16th head of the Hosokawa family, now the main hall of a men's student dormitory. The grounds are closed except on guided open days between May and December. It stands on the same Mejirodai heights as the Higo-Hosokawa Garden and the Eisei Bunko museum.
Where to stand
Inside, look for the Japanese swastika-lattice motif tucked into the English-style rooms; the foundation also points out touches of Saracenic design. Outside, walk onto the lawn and turn back to take in the three-storey front in one view.
Practical notes
Private property: you can only enter on the guided open days (14:00, about an hour, 20 people, ¥1,000 plus tax). Apply by return postcard or email, no phone bookings; first come, first served. Photos are allowed but not for posting online. Walk down to the Higo-Hosokawa Garden afterwards.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- 0 min walkfrom Higo-Hosokawa Garden☕ CafeShoseikaku (inside Higo-Hosokawa Garden)
Matcha overlooking the pond, inside the garden itself. After the Wakeijuku tour, it links the family's Western house and Japanese garden in one afternoon.
Order：Matcha with the seasonal sweet
- 7 min walkfrom Higo-Hosokawa Garden☕ CafeLe Pain France Sekiguchi (Mejirozaka)
A bakery founded in 1888, with a café and terrace at its Mejirozaka flagship: walk towards Edogawabashi and share something fresh from the oven.
Order：A baguette sandwich and café au lait
Mon–Sat 8:00–18:00, Sun and holidays 8:00–17:00Closed: 31 Dec–4 Jan¥1,000–2,000 (PayPay or cash)Details ↗