Kyu-Iwasaki Gardens in Photos
Kyu-Iwasaki Gardens offers a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of Japan’s Meiji-era elite. Famed English architect Josiah Conder designed its Western-style mansion. The mansion is a treasure trove of Jacobean architecture, exotic wallpaper techniques, and Islamic-influenced tiles. History buffs and architectural photographers will be transported to a bygone era. It’s another great Tokyo photo spot.
The Gardens are beautiful. Conder’s mansion has two floors and is in England’s 17th-century Jacobean style. In its heyday, it must have been luxurious beyond belief. This is a sample of what you will see:
- Carvings on the doors and columns.
- Kinkarakawa wallpaper – used metal foil applied to washi paper through a woodblock roll and hammered with a brush. It looks like colored leather. The technique was exported to Europe.
- Islamic-influenced tiles on the first-floor verandah.
- Engraved wooden surfaces.
A lawn with a few lanterns and stone work occupies the rear of the property. Concerts have been held there. And as mentioned, there are two other buildings – a billiard house and a Japanese-style residence that is now a teahouse. It would be great to know how much they cost back in the day!
A Brief History of Kyu-Iwasaki Gardens
- The grounds were owned by the Sakakibara family of the Echigo Takada Clan in the Edo period. In the early Meiji period, the property was passed to the Makino of the Maizuru clan. In 1896, Hisaya Iwasaki, son of the founder of the Mitsubishi group, purchased the land for his family.
- Hisaya hired the British architect, Josiah Conder, to create a mansion. Conder designed a two-story Western-style main building and a Swiss-style billiards house. The project consisted of more than 20 buildings on 49,500 m².
- After World War II, the Allied Powers confiscated the property. It was eventually returned to Japan.
- The Supreme Court used it as the Judicial Research and Training Institute until 1970.
- The Department of Justice demolished nearly all the Japanese-style housing. That made the present grounds less than half their original size. In 1961, the mansion was recognized as an Important Cultural Asset status. In 1999, this was extended to the whole property.
- The Metropolitan Government has administered Kyu-Iwasaki since 2001.
Where are Kyu-Iwasaki Gardens?
Address: 1-3-45 Ikenohata, Taito City, Tokyo
Here it is on a Google map:
Closest train station:
- Yushima on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (about a five-minute walk)
- Ueno Station is further away. It’s a fifteen-minute walk, but many train and metro lines serve it.
Car parking
None available
Opening hours
- 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- It is closed over the New Year’s holiday, from December 29 to January 1.
Admission costs
¥400
Admin office phone number
03-3823-8340
Problems photographing the mansion
Most people will want to photograph the front of the mansion. That is difficult as the sun rarely directly shines on it. A small window of opportunity for that photo exists in the late afternoon from mid-May to mid-August.
Kyu-Iwasaki Gardens rules
- No photography inside the house on weekends.
- Shoes aren’t allowed in the house (including verandahs). You will be provided with a plastic bag to carry them.
Conclusion
If you want to have a walk through a “real” garden, you might be better off looking elsewhere. Shinjuku Gyoen, Koishikawa Korakuen, Kyu-Furukawa, or Kiyosumi Gardens are all good options. But if you want a glimpse into how the ultra-rich lived in Meiji Japan, and how they lived, Iwasaki is the place to go. Anyone interested in architectural photography should also love it. Leave questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related websites:
- Kyu-Iwasaki Gardens (official website)