Kyū Iwasaki-teien

Ueno & Yanesen

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This grand residence offers a Western-style mansion designed by Josiah Conder in 1896, connected to a Japanese house built by Ōkawa Kijuro at the same time, and gardens. It was the home of Hisaya Iwasaki, son of the founder of Mitsubishi, and is a fascinating example of how the cultural elite of the early Meiji period synthesised east and west.

The Western residence is a potpourri of styles, cherry picking design elements from Britain, the US and even the Islamic world. Only a small section of the Japanese house remains, but inside it look out for the delicately painted screens. You can also have tea and sweets here while overlooking the garden.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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  • teamLab Borderless

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    Imperial Palace

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Nearby Ueno & Yanesen attractions

1. Yushima Tenjin

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2. Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall

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Early-20th-century artist Yokoyama Taikan was one of the masters of modern nihonga (Japanese-style painting). Inside his former residence, a traditional…

3. Shinobazu-ike

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A key feature of Ueno-kōen is this large, natural pond, much of which is completely covered with giant lotuses that bloom in summer. Go bird- and botany…

4. Benten-dō

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Take a stroll down the causeway leading to the island on which Benten-dō stands. The temple is dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess of the arts,…

5. Shitamachi Museum

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This small museum recreates life in the plebeian quarters of Tokyo during the Meiji and Taishō periods (1868–1926), before the city was twice destroyed by…

6. Tokyo University

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Tokyo University (commonly called Tōdai) was founded in 1877 and is Japan's top university. The attractive and leafy campus occupies what was once the…

7. Aka-mon

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The 'red gate' is the most famous of the several entrances to Tokyo University (commonly known as Tōdai). The attractive and leafy campus occupies what…

8. Gojōten-jinja

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This Inari shrine inside Ueno-kōen is most noteworthy for its photogenic succession of torii gates, which form a vermilion tunnel. This feature is typical…