Kyu-Furukawa Gardens

The outside of the western-style house that can be found in the gardens.

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens (旧古河庭園 kyū-furukawa teien) is a Tokyo metropolitan park in Nishigahara,Kita, Tokyo. The park includes an old western-style mansion with a rose garden, and a Japanese garden which were built in early 20th century.

Outline

The Mansion from east

This mansion was built by Baron Toranosuke Furukawa, which includes a western-style building and a western-style garden,and a Japanese-style garden. The western-style building and western-style gardens were completed in 1917, which were designed by English architect Josiah Conder (1852-1920). Conder was called "father of Japanese modern architecture" and also designed Rokumeikan and Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden,Holy Resurrection Cathedral. And the Japanese garden was completed in 1919, which was designed by Japanese-gardener Ogawa Jihei VII.

Baron Furukawa was the owner of Furukawa zaibatu which owned Ashio copper mine .

Western building and garden

The rose garden is build on a slope and have geometric structure.

The outlook of the building is completely Western-style,and the ground floor rooms are also western-style, but the second floor rooms are mostly in Japanese style with tatami matless. The mansion is build on a steep slope of Musashino Terrace. The building is located on the top of a hill, western-garden on the slope, and Japanese garden on the bottom. The western garden is a complex of Italian style and geometric French style rose garden. On the bottom of the western garden is a Rhododendron plantation which harmonise the western geometric garden and non geometric Japanese garden.

Japanese garden

The Japanese garden, the pond. A Tōrō on the left.

The Japanese garden is surrounded by a deep forest.The Western building and garden are hidden by tall trees.In the centre of stroll garden is an artificial pond called "Shin- ji- ike" which means "Heart letter pond", because its pattern is designed by Kanji "心(Shin)" which means heart. Around the pond are Tōrōs (stone lanterns), artificial hill, water falls, islands, and a tea ceremony house.^[1]The park in its current state was opened to the public in 956.

Access

General admission is 150 yen. The park is open daily until 5 PM. It is a quick walk from Kami-Nakazato Station on the JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line or Nishigahara Station on the Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line

See also

• Parks and gardens in Tokyo

References

1. "Harmony of western garden and Japanese garden". Retrieved 4 September 2011.

Coordinates: 35°44′34.7″N 139°44′48.1″E / 35.742972°N 139.746694°E