Saito Villa

When I was there, the guide spoke English well enough to explain some basics, and there is English language signage as well. The garden is pretty amazing in its variety — basically the guy who built the mansion created a full Japanese garden in his backyard. Waterfalls, river, bamboo, flowers, moss, rocks, autumn colors — the whole bit.

Take a few moments to admire how the view changes depending on what window you look out from! Overall I recommend stopping by if you are in Niigata on a nice day.

A very peaceful and beautiful place. The architecture is of traditional Japanese style and the yard has a small lake surrounded by different kinds of staggered trees. You can sit there and have a cup of tea and cake there, a very relaxing experience. Highly recommended!!

Beautiful historical Japanese home. Garden and ho.e were so nice. Handicap accessible though garden is not. Can see plenty from the house. Bathrooms are very clean. Parking down street in garages. Ladies here are so helpful.

Truly amazing mansion with beautiful garden view. When I sit in the living room facing the garden, I can see myself living here with a lovely family. A house is where people gather and daily life happens. I love this place for its delicate design , and also the traditions and values it stands for.

Went there yesterday. The place is super nice during Autumn season. You will be mesmerized by the scenery of the garden while sitting and relaxing at the benches. Entrance fee is just 300yen. The history of the Villa is shown and exhibit inside. The historic house is very well maintained and tatami mat are being use. You can also buy souvenirs there. Highly recommend for you to visit especially during Autumn season.

A beautiful hidden gem! 1900s house and garden, with beautiful traditional interiors, garden, and helpful staff/volunteers (and cute souvenirs).

This villa was exquisite, both the traditional Japanese house and the spacious serene pond, waterfalls, rock trails, and statuary. The price for admission is negligible. There are two floors of the house to view. You are able to walk and look at your own pace. Several areas are roped off, but you are able to look into the rooms. The signage is in Japanese, but there is a brochure which is in English. You are required to wear a mask. Also, you must take off your shoes and stow them at the entrance to the villa while you tour inside. I highly recommend this heritage site.

loved the typical "high art" traditional japan house, with beautiful greenery. we will find several function rooms within the house. do not rush when you visit this site.
i wonder if they have an English speaking guide.

nice villa of rich Japanese businessman and politician. beautifully landscaped garden, have formal meeting rooms, tea rooms, casual entertainment hall, VIP guests accommodations. interesting architecture, theme wood carvings and paintings. the glass are all original from previous century. have good English guide.

Calm and serenity. The zen vibe and design is breath taking. Tea making is fascinating (unfortunately only in Japanese). In autumn the view would have been very colourful. A must go to place.

I had the opportunity of visiting this marvellous villa on 13th September 2019 which coincidentally happened to be the “Juugoya” (a festival honouring the autumn moon). It was a wonderful time and the ambience was just perfect!

Nice place to relax and revive the historic house of the saito family 🏡🌳

Nice villa and even nicer garden.

Histrical Japanese style guest house and residence with well maintained with more than 100 years old wooden house

This was our best experience in Japan. We had the nicest guide you can imagine who showed us the villa and its beautiful garden in detail.
We definitely recommend going there.

Wonderful experience. It captures one of those small facets of life that demonstrates Japanese culture very well. I was surprised that I was immediately offered a personal tour in English. Keiko did an excellent job explaining everything and answering my questions. I would recommend visiting to anyone interested in Japanese culture and who appreciates how much detail there can be in a single setting.

Beautiful house and even nicer garden, volunteer guides approach you with explanations in English - highly recommended!

Wonderful historic house with a traditional Japanese garden. What's particularly special is Niigata tourism regularly hosts a 1 hour Geisha tea house appreciation tour on Saturday with dance and games. Very special and authentic cultural experience if you can get some tickets.

Very beautiful transitional Japanese style house. Entry fee is cheap. Worth to come.

This is a beautiful villa. It was designed such that the house and garden blended together. Sometimes, there may be cultural performances by geishas... you'll have to check for details in their website if you want to attend. I missed it but I heard these performances are wonderful.