Kiyosumi Gardens guide: history, hidden spots and how to visit

A garden created by Iwasaki Yataro, founder of Mitsubishi, and a classic of the Meiji era. Famous stones gathered from all over Japan on the company's own steamships line the pond. 3 min from Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station, ¥150 to enter.

Kyochika's tips

• The stepping stones at the pond's edge, the “Isowatari,” are laid so the view changes with every step. Take them slowly, one at a time.
• A good stop before or after a café crawl in Kiyosumi-shirakawa. ¥150 and 3 minutes from the station.

Visiting info

Checked on 2026-10-27 against the official pages. Hours and fees can change; please check before you go.

Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kiyosumi Gardens (Japanese)

Whose garden was Kiyosumi?

Part of the site is said to have been the residence of the Edo merchant Kinokuniya Bunzaemon. In the Kyoho era (1716–1736) it became the secondary residence of Kuze Yamato-no-kami, lord of the Sekiyado domain, and the garden seems to have taken shape then.

In 1878 Iwasaki Yataro bought the neglected estate and began building a garden for staff recreation and for entertaining important guests; it was more or less completed in 1880 as the “Fukagawa Shinboku-en.” Work continued after his death, creating a great pond fed by the Sumida River and a garden of famous stones from across Japan.

In the Great Kanto Earthquake it served as a refuge and saved many lives. Valuing that role, the Iwasaki family donated the eastern half to the City of Tokyo in 1924, and it opened to the public in 1932.

Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kiyosumi Gardens (Japanese)

The Ryotei pavilion was built for a British field marshal

The sukiya-style Ryotei pavilion jutting out over the pond was built by the Iwasaki family in 1909 to welcome Field Marshal Kitchener of Britain, who visited Japan as a state guest.

It escaped the earthquake and the war, was fully rebuilt in fiscal 1985, and was named a Tokyo selected historic building in 2005. Today it can be rented as a meeting place.

Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kiyosumi Gardens (Japanese)

“Kiyosumi” was once “Yahei-cho”

Around 1629, a man named Yahei, one of the pioneers who reclaimed the tidal flats as a fishing town, founded the area, so it was first called Yahei-cho. In 1695 it was renamed Kiyosumi-cho (清住), and in 1932 it was merged with neighboring towns as Kiyosumi-cho (清澄).

The name is said to come from the landscape resembling Kiyosumi in Awa Province (Chiba).

Sources: 江東区「清澄」 (Japanese)

A garden built for company staff

In 1878 Iwasaki Yataro bought about 30,000 tsubo of land and began building a garden for his employees to relax and mingle and for entertaining important guests. Newsweek Japan calls building a garden for a company “an extremely new idea.”

A Meiji corporation's staff garden is now open to anyone for ¥150.

Sources: Newsweek日本版 (Japanese) / GO TOKYO「清澄庭園」 (Japanese)

The stones came on the company's own ships

The famous stones around the pond were collected from across Japan on Mitsubishi steamships and brought in by canal from the Sumida River. Newsweek Japan suggests Iwasaki wanted to show off his shipping power.

Each stone is a kind of souvenir of Mitsubishi's Meiji shipping routes. Look for the red Sado akadama stone.

Sources: Newsweek日本版 (Japanese)

Our suggested route

1. From the main gate to the pond The pond and the Ryotei pavilion come into view right away.
2. Isowatari stepping stones Laid so the view changes with every step.
3. Ryotei pavilion See the sukiya-style building over the water from the front.
4. The “Mt. Fuji” hill The tallest hill in the garden.
5. Back via the famous stones Izu, Iyo, Kishu, Sado and more on the way out.

A lap takes about 40 minutes, or about an hour with photos (according to a guide site). Free garden tours at 11:00 and 14:00 on weekends and holidays.

Sources: jeepe「清澄庭園ガイド」 (Japanese) / 東京都建設局「清澄庭園」パンフレット (Japanese)

What to see by season

Sources: 東京都建設局「清澄庭園」パンフレット (Japanese) / jeepe「清澄庭園ガイド」 (Japanese) / ウォーカープラス「清澄庭園の紅葉」 (Japanese)

Nearby: combine with

• Fukagawa Edo Museum 3 min from exit A3 of Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station. A life-size recreation of an Edo-period Fukagawa street: see how a daimyo lived in the garden, and how townspeople lived in the museum.
• Kiyosumi-shirakawa cafés Blue Bottle Coffee's first shop in Japan, in a renovated old warehouse, and others are around the station.
• Tomioka Hachimangu About 1.0 km. The shrine of Fukagawa's great festival.

Sources: 江東区「深川江戸資料館」 (Japanese) / GO TOKYO「清澄白河」 (Japanese) / ウォーカープラス (Japanese)

Little-known spots

Famous stones from across Japan

Izu iso stones, Iyo blue stones, Kishu blue stones, Ikoma stones, Sado red stones and more, collected by the Iwasaki family from quarries all over Japan with their own steamships.

The garden's “Mt. Fuji”

The tallest and largest hill in the garden. Before the earthquake, no trees were planted near the top; instead azaleas were lined up across it to suggest clouds trailing across Mt. Fuji.

Basho's haiku stone

A stone carved with Basho's haiku: “The old pond — a frog jumps in, the sound of water.”

Taisho Memorial Hall

Built from the funeral hall used for Emperor Taisho. After it burned in the war, it was rebuilt with materials from Empress Teimei's funeral hall.

Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kiyosumi Gardens (Japanese)

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Kiyosumi Gardens?

9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)

How much does Kiyosumi Gardens cost?

Adults ¥150, 65 and over ¥70 (free for children of elementary school age and under, and for junior high students living or studying in Tokyo). Free on May 4 and October 1

How do I get to Kiyosumi Gardens?

3 min walk from Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line). No parking

Whose garden was Kiyosumi?

Part of the site is said to have been the residence of the Edo merchant Kinokuniya Bunzaemon. In the Kyoho era (1716–1736) it became the secondary residence of Kuze Yamato-no-kami, lord of the Sekiyado domain, and the garden seems to have taken shape then.

What are some little-known spots in Kiyosumi Gardens?

Famous stones from across Japan, The garden's “Mt. Fuji”, Basho's haiku stone, Taisho Memorial Hall.

More Tokyo sights & gardens → · 日本語のガイド