Hayama Imperial Villa

It is located on the east bank of Sagami Bay in central Miura Peninsula, just south of Kamakura.

The villa was a favorite of Emperor Taishō and he often visited to convalesce from his illnesses and to escape from the stresses of his official duties in Tokyo.

The Imperial Family traditionally uses the Hayama residence in February–March, the season when few tourists visit the area.

The villa was burned down in 1971 in an act of arson and was rebuilt as a one-story building of western architectural design.

A portion of the grounds was donated to the town of Hayama at that time, and is now the Hayama Shiosai Park, with a traditional Japanese garden and teahouse, and a small museum displaying part of Emperor Hirohito’s collection of marine specimens from Sagami Bay.