Kyu-Yasuda Garden 旧安田庭園

Strategically Near the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Japanese Sword Museum, and the Memorial to The 1923 Tokyo Earthquake in Ryogoku,Sumida Ward, East Tokyo

Kyu-Yasuda Garden is free and perfectly located just a five minutes walk from Ryogoku station and the Edo-Tokyo Museum and Sumo Arena (Kokugikan).

Information

Address:

1-12-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku
Contact:

03-5608-6293
Open hours:

9am – 4:30pm (Jun. – Aug. 9am – 6pm)
Closed:

Dec. 29 – Jan. 1
Entrance fee:

Free of charge

Flower Calendar

Jan. – Feb. : Different varieties of camellia (Japanese camellia)
Mar. – Apr. : Japanese apricot, Kobushi magnolia, Flowering quince, Forsythia, White perulatus
May – Jun. : Japanese stewartia, Rhaphiolepis umbeilata (short), Different varieties of azalea (Rhododendron pulchrum, Satsuki azalea), Glossy abelia (until Nov.)
Jul. – Aug. : Crape myrtle, Japanese pagoda tree, Rose of Sharon (until Oct.), Gardenia
Sep. – Oct. : Orange osmathus, Maple, Ginkgo
Nov. – Dec. : Sasanqua, Camellia hiernalis
Nov. – Feb. : Yukitsuri (supporting ropes tied to trees to protect rom the snow)

Table of Contents

1. Background and History of Kyu-Yasuda Garden
2. Features and Sights to See
2.1 History of the Garden
2.2 Easily Accessible Garden
2.3 Surroundings of Kyu-Yasuda Garden

Background and History of Kyu-Yasuda Gardens

Yasuda Zenjiro, the founder of the Yasuda Industrial Group, built Kyu-Yasuda Gardens in 1894. It was later designated as a Tokyo Metropolitan Place of Scenic Beauty in March 1996. This garden is in the form of a circular strolling garden, with a tidal pond, formerly fed by the Sumida river, at its center. The pond is now fed by artificial means in order to restore its original appearance. Situated at only a five minutes walk away from the JR and Toei Ryogoku station, the garden is easily accessible as well as being near the Kokugikan, the Edo Tokyo Museum and other cultural facilities. Please visit Kyu-Yasuda Garden while sightseeing in Ryogoku.

Features and Sights to See

History of the Garden

Kyu-Yasuda Garden is tidal garden that used to be near the Sumida river and still looks the same as it did in the Meiji period; making Kyu-Yasuda Garden a classic example of Meiji period (1868 – 1912) gardens.

Easily Accessible Gardens

Kyu-Yasuda Gardens are only a five minute walk from the JR and Toei Ryogoku station. The Sumida Loop bus stops are located directly outside the gardens. The Ryogoku Depot for the Tokyo Mizube Cruising Line, that runs along the Sumida river, is also located nearby; making Kyu-Yasuda Garden very easy to access.

Surroundings of the Gardens

The three-tiered pagoda of the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall and the Tokyo Skytree® can be viewed from the garden. The Kokugikan and the Edo-Tokyo Museum are also situated nearby. In addition to similar facilities providing tourism and cultural opportunities, only a ten minute walk away from the gardens, is the Sumida Hokusai Museum, displaying works by Hokusai, that opened in November 2016.

About the Author

Pjechorin

I have lived and worked with my family in Japan since 2005. For many years I have been interested in the very practical and creative side of Japanese culture. In my free time I travel around, enjoy hiking in the countryside and cities, and just generally seeing and doing new things. This blog is primarily a way for me to focus my energies and record and teach others about what I have learned by experience constructively. I am interested in urban development, and sustainable micro-economics, especially home-economics, and practical things everyday families can do to survive and thrive through these changing times.