Homma Museum of Art

The port city of Sakata flourished as a base for Kitamae-bune ships that sailed between Hokkaido and Osaka by calling at the ports dotting the coastline along the Sea of Japan from the 1800s to 1900s. Among the merchants in Sakata, the Homma Family was known to be the wealthiest, whose exploits were reflected in the lyric of a popular song of the time, "Nobody could ever be a Homma, but everybody would like to be at least a lord." The family's villa and Japanese garden were opened to the public in 1947 by the family in the hope that people in post-WWII Japan would restore hope and confidence through Japanese art. Later in 1968, the new exhibition hall showcasing the family's art collections was built, which came to be known as the Homma Museum of Art.

Seienkaku is the Homma Family's two-story country villa built in the traditional Kyoto style of residential architecture in 1813, which also served as Sakata City's guest house that hosted a number of distinguished guests from both home and abroad. Kakubuen, which can be seen from the villa, is a pond-stroll garden created using "meiseki," or famous stones known for their outstanding beauty, transported by Kitamae-bune ships from all over Japan. The garden offers a view of Mount Chokai among the trees in good weather, while letting visitors enjoy the seasonal beauty such as the white azaleas in spring and colorful leaves in autumn. Kakubuen received two stars and Seienkaku a star, respectively, from the Michelin Green Guide Japan (2009).