# Kiyosumi Gardens

> A Meiji-era stroll garden built by the Iwasaki family of Mitsubishi around a large pond with three islands, edged with stones their steamships brought from all over Japan. A line of stepping stones lets you walk along the water's edge, and entry is 150 yen.

- Prefecture: Tokyo
- Type: Garden
- Address: Tokyo, Japan
- Opening hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00
- Closed: Closed December 29 to January 1.
- Hours note: Last entry 16:30. Hours can be extended during some events and Golden Week.
- Admission: 150 yen
- Official site: https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/kiyosumi/

The rocks are the point here. When Iwasaki Yataro, founder of Mitsubishi, bought this run-down former daimyo villa in 1878, he and his successors had their company's steamships bring prized stones from across Japan, Izu shore rock, blue Iyo stone, Sanuki granite, and set them around a large pond fed with water from the Sumida River. It opened in 1880 as a place for staff recreation and receiving guests. Walk the iso-watari, a line of flat stepping stones laid right at the water's edge, and the view of the three islands changes every few steps. The Ryotei, a sukiya-style pavilion built out over the pond in 1909 to host Lord Kitchener, survived both the 1923 earthquake and the war. During that earthquake the garden saved many lives as an evacuation site, and in 1924 the Iwasaki family gave the eastern half to Tokyo City, which opened it in 1932. The stepping stones are uneven and can be slippery after rain, so watch your footing. Entry is 150 yen. The Fukagawa Edo Museum is three minutes away from the same station.

## FAQ

### How much is admission to Kiyosumi Gardens?

150 yen for adults and 70 yen for those 65 and over. Elementary school children and younger, and junior high students living or studying in Tokyo, are free, and everyone gets in free on May 4 and October 1.

### What are the stepping stones (iso-watari)?

A path of flat stones set right along the pond's edge, so you walk at water level and the view of the islands shifts with each step. The stones are uneven, so take care, especially after rain.

### What else is near Kiyosumi Gardens?

The Fukagawa Edo Museum is about 3 minutes on foot from the same station, Kiyosumi-shirakawa, and has a full-size Edo-period street inside. Tomioka Hachimangu is near Monzen-nakacho, one stop south on the Oedo Line.

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Source: Kiyosumi Gardens — Japan Voyage