Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens guide: history, hidden spots and how to visit
1 min walk from the north exit of Hamamatsucho Station. Like Koishikawa Korakuen, it is one of the early Edo daimyo gardens still standing. Look for the way the stones brought from Odawara are set.
Kyochika's tips
- Hamamatsucho is where the monorail to Haneda Airport starts, and the garden is 1 minute away. With 30 minutes to spare at the end of your trip, you can walk around an Edo garden.
- Hama-rikyu is about 0.7 km away. If you visit both, the Sono-musubi combined ticket (adults ¥400, no expiry) saves money.
Visiting info
| Hours | 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) |
|---|---|
| Closed | December 29 – January 1 |
| Admission | 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. A combined ticket with Hama-rikyu (Sono-musubi ticket) is ¥400 for adults |
| Address | 1-4-1 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Getting there | 1 min walk from the north exit of JR Hamamatsucho Station, 3 min from exit B2 of Daimon Station (Toei Asakusa and Oedo lines). No parking |
Checked on 2026-10-27 against the official pages. Hours and fees can change; please check before you go.
Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens (Japanese)
How was Kyu-Shiba-rikyu made?
The land was reclaimed from the sea around the Meireki era (1655–1658). In 1678 the senior councilor Okubo Tadatomo received it from the 4th shogun Ietsuna. Tadatomo is said to have brought gardeners from his domain of Odawara to make the garden, which was called “Rakuju-en.”
At the end of the Edo period it was the Shiba residence of the Kishu Tokugawa family; in 1871 it passed to the Arisugawa-no-miya family, and in 1875 the Imperial Household Ministry bought it, making it the “Shiba Detached Palace” the following year.
After heavy damage in the Great Kanto Earthquake, it was granted to the City of Tokyo in January 1924 to mark the wedding of the Crown Prince (later Emperor Showa), and opened that April. It is a national Place of Scenic Beauty.
Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens (Japanese)
China's West Lake, in Hamamatsucho
The stone causeway across the pond, the “West Lake causeway,” imitates the Su Causeway on West Lake in Hangzhou, China. West Lake had long been a favorite subject of poems and paintings, a view people in Edo dreamed of.
The pond was originally a tidal pond filled with seawater, and it is said that at low tide you could walk from Nakajima island to the floating island. Seawater can no longer be let in, and it is now a freshwater pond.
Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens (Japanese)
A gatepost from an Odawara samurai's house
In the garden stands a “mysterious stone pillar,” said to be a gatepost from the house of Matsuda Norihide, a senior retainer of the Hojo clan in the Warring States period. It is thought to have been used as a pillar of the teahouse when the 5th shogun Tsunayoshi visited.
The gardeners came from Odawara because the Okubo family were lords of Odawara. One stone pillar links the Warring States era and Edo.
Sources: ニッポン旅マガジン「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」 (Japanese)
A hill for Karatsu
There is also a hill called Karatsu-yama, thought to have been built by Okubo Tadatomo out of fondness for Karatsu in Hizen, where he had once been lord (this is a theory, not certain).
The causeway is from Hangzhou, the hill from Kyushu, the stones from Odawara: the lord's memories gathered in a small garden in Hamamatsucho.
Sources: ニッポン旅マガジン「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」 (Japanese)
A sea garden that became a land garden
This was once sea, reclaimed around 1655–58. The pond took in seawater, and the beaches and islands changed with the tide.
Now it is a freshwater pond, and only the trace of the seawater inlet remains. On the land side, part of the garden was lost when the railway grounds expanded.
Sources: 東京都建設局「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」パンフレット (Japanese) / ニッポン旅マガジン「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」 (Japanese)
Our suggested route
- To the pond Surprisingly quiet for a garden by the station. Take in the pond first.
- West Lake causeway A stone causeway modeled on the Su Causeway of West Lake in Hangzhou.
- Dry waterfall The riverbed is the path, so the view changes as you walk.
- Climb Oyama The highest hill, with a good view (according to Tokyo's pamphlet).
- The stone pillar and the old inlet Finish with the gatepost stone and the trace of the seawater inlet.
No source gives a time, but GO TOKYO says it is compact enough to walk in a short time. Free garden tours at 14:00 on weekends.
Sources: 東京都建設局「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」パンフレット (Japanese) / GO TOKYO「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」 (Japanese)
What to see by season
| Winter – early spring | Wintersweet, daffodils, plum. Snow ropes and winter wrappings |
|---|---|
| Spring | Cherry, flowering quince, spirea, crabapple, azaleas |
| Early May | Wisteria with large purple clusters |
| Summer | Irises, hydrangeas, crape myrtle |
| Autumn | Red spider lilies, fragrant olive. Autumn leaves usually late November – early December, set against about 220 green pines |
Sources: 東京都建設局「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園」パンフレット (Japanese) / ウォーカープラス「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園の紅葉」 (Japanese)
Nearby: combine with
- Hama-rikyu Gardens About 0.7 km. Visit both with the Sono-musubi ticket.
- Zojo-ji and Tokyo Tower About 1.0 km to Zojo-ji, and Tokyo Tower is 5 min from Zojo-ji. A half-day walk: garden, temple, tower.
- Takeshiba Pier On the east side of the garden. Ferries and dinner cruises on Tokyo Bay leave from here.
Sources: ウォーカープラス「旧芝離宮恩賜庭園の紅葉」 (Japanese) / まっぷる (Japanese) / GO TOKYO (Japanese)
Little-known spots
- Tai-bashi (sea bream bridge)
- A bridge of Nebukawa stone shaped like a sea bream. Cross it and a large hill rises on your right.
- Nebukawa stones from Odawara
- Nebukawa stones, believed to have been brought from the Okubo domain of Odawara, are used in the rock arrangements and stepping stones. The pond banks are of black lava stone from Mt. Fuji.
- Mt. Horai and the dry waterfall
- The rock arrangement on the central island represents Mt. Horai, the mythical home of immortals. There is also a waterless “dry waterfall” that suggests water tumbling down a valley.
- Archery range
- There is a Japanese archery range in the garden, usable for ¥140 per hour (bring your own equipment; no instructor).
Sources: Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association: Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens (Japanese)
FAQ
What are the opening hours of Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens?
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
How much does Kyu-Shiba-rikyu 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. A combined ticket with Hama-rikyu (Sono-musubi ticket) is ¥400 for adults
How do I get to Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens?
1 min walk from the north exit of JR Hamamatsucho Station, 3 min from exit B2 of Daimon Station (Toei Asakusa and Oedo lines). No parking
How was Kyu-Shiba-rikyu made?
The land was reclaimed from the sea around the Meireki era (1655–1658). In 1678 the senior councilor Okubo Tadatomo received it from the 4th shogun Ietsuna. Tadatomo is said to have brought gardeners from his domain of Odawara to make the garden, which was called “Rakuju-en.”
What are some little-known spots in Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Gardens?
Tai-bashi (sea bream bridge), Nebukawa stones from Odawara, Mt. Horai and the dry waterfall, Archery range.