Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden, Historical garden with Japanese-European mansion in Ikenohata, Japan
Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden is a protected park featuring a two-story wooden mansion in the Western style, a billiard house, and a Japanese reception hall in Ikenohata, Japan. The grounds combine formal European landscaping with traditional Japanese elements such as ponds, bridges, and carefully placed trees.
Hisaya Iwasaki, third president of Mitsubishi, commissioned the mansion in 1896 from British architect Josiah Conder. The Japanese reception hall was added later to accommodate traditional ceremonies and meetings with Japanese business partners.
The name refers to the Iwasaki family who once owned the estate and received guests in both buildings. Today visitors stroll between the lawns in front of the mansion and the ponds with stone lanterns in the Japanese section of the park.
The grounds are open daily and located within walking distance of nearby subway stations. Visitors wanting to compare both architectural styles should allow time for a tour through the interior rooms and garden paths.
An underground passage links the main building to the billiard house, which resembles a Swiss chalet. Such tunnels were very rare in Japanese villas of this period and likely served for discreet receptions or business discussions.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
