Kiyosumi-teien

Asakusa & Sumida River


One of Tokyo's most picturesque retreats, Kiyosumi-teien started out in 1721 as the villa of a daimyō (domain lord; regional lord under the shoguns). After the villa was destroyed in the 1923 earthquake, Iwasaki Yatarō, founder of the Mitsubishi Corporation, purchased the property. Prized stones from all over Japan were transported here and set around a pond ringed with Japanese black pine, hydrangeas and Taiwanese cherry trees.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Asakusa & Sumida River attractions

1. Fukagawa Edo Museum

0.17 MILES

During the Edo period (1603–1868), Fukagawa was a typical working-class neighbourhood, with narrow alleys and tenement homes. You can get an idea of what…

2. Fukagawa Fudō-dō

0.58 MILES

Belonging to the esoteric Shingon sect, at this active temple you can attend one of the city's most spectacular religious rituals. Goma (fire rituals)…

3. Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT)

0.61 MILES

For a primer in the major movements of post-WWII Japanese art, a visit to the permanent collection gallery here should do the trick. Temporary exhibitions…

4. Tomioka Hachiman-gū

0.63 MILES

Founded in 1627, this shrine is famous as the birthplace of the sumo tournament. Around the back of the main building is the yokozuna (sumo grand…

5. Amazake Yokochō

0.81 MILES

The hub of Ningyōchō, Amazake Yokochō is a delightful shopping street lined with age-old businesses, including several good craft shops. It's named after…

6. Sumida Hokusai Museum

1.06 MILES

The woodblock artist Hokusai Katsushika (1760–1849) was born and died close to the location of this museum, which opened in 2016 in a striking aluminium…

7. Edo-Tokyo Museum

1.08 MILES

Tokyo's history museum documents the city's transformation from tidal flatlands to feudal capital to modern metropolis via detailed scale re-creations of…

8. Sumo Museum

1.11 MILES

On the ground floor of Ryōgoku Kokugikan stadium, this small museum displays pictures of all the past yokozuna (top-ranking sumo wrestlers), or, for those…