旧堀田邸(さくら庭園) Former Hotta Residence and Sakura Garden

Splendid manor house and garden

I've visited many preserved houses in Chiba Prefecture, but this one is exemplary, with both the house and garden listed as prefectural places of scenic beauty. The Sakura clan leader Hotta Masamoto built the house in 1890 after the Meiji Restoration abolished the clan system. The huge estate has been whittled down by redistribution of land, but the house and garden feel spacious. And sumptuous. The main house has understated carpentry in a series of wide rooms connected by corridors. The house has been used as a film location and you can see why - Sakurateien, the garden surrounding it gives few hints of modern life, with wide lawns, woods, and massive stone lanterns and paths. The house, samurai quarters, and the Juntendo Museum nearby have a discounted combined ticket. For architecture, history, and samurai fans, this part of Sakura City feels like an open-air museum. I'm tempted to go again in the spring in my Sunday best for photography.