Garden · Nishigahara

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens 旧古河庭園

A stone Western mansion by Josiah Conder above terraced rose gardens, stepping down to a Japanese pond garden by Ogawa Jihei, two worlds in one hillside, and gorgeous in May and October.

About

Built in 1917 for Furukawa Toranosuke of the Furukawa mining conglomerate, this estate is a perfect snapshot of Taisho-era taste. At the top of the slope stands Josiah Conder's dark andesite mansion, a Scottish-baronial-meets-Japanese residence; below it, formal Western terraces planted with around 100 varieties of roses; and at the bottom, a Japanese garden designed by the Kyoto master Ogawa Jihei, with a heart-shaped pond, a dry waterfall and stone lanterns. The roses bloom in May and again in October, when locals pack the terraces with cameras, but outside those weeks it is a calm garden walk. The mansion's interior can be visited on guided tours by reservation, and its café serves tea in an elegant drawing room.

Highlights

• Josiah Conder's 1917 stone Western mansion
• Terraced Western rose garden with about 100 varieties
• Japanese garden by Kyoto master Ogawa Jihei with a heart-shaped pond
• Spring (May) and autumn (October) rose festivals
• Tea in the mansion's drawing-room café

Tips

• Visit in mid-to-late May or October for the roses; weekday mornings beat the camera crowds.
• Mansion interior tours require advance booking with the Otani Museum foundation.
• Komagome Station (JR/Namboku) is 12 minutes away; Kami-Nakazato Station (JR Keihin-Tohoku) is 7 minutes.
• Combine with Rikugien (one stop away) on a garden day.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Coin Lockers · Komagome StationLuggage Storage · 660 m away
• Tokyo Somei Onsen SAKURAOnsen & Sento · 750 m away
• Rikugien GardenGarden · 1.0 km away
• Paper MuseumMuseum · 1.1 km away
• Asukayama ParkPark · 1.1 km away
• Somei CemeteryLocal Secret · 1.1 km away
• Toden Tram Street Section at AsukayamaPhoto Spot · 1.2 km away
• Coin Lockers · Sugamo StationLuggage Storage · 1.2 km away