Former Furukawa Gardens

The Kyu-Furukawa Gardens in Tokyo's Kita ward belong to the villa of mining magnate Furukawa Toranosuke and were laid out in 1917 on land previously owned by diplomat Mutsu Munemitsu. The estate combines three worlds within a small footprint: a red-stone Western mansion in Tudor style by British architect Josiah Conder, a formal rose garden encircling it, and a lower Japanese stroll garden in kaiyu style designed by Ueki Jihei VII, with a waterfall, pond and teahouse. The site is designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty. Several hundred varieties of roses bloom in May and October, and the maples turn deep red in autumn. The Western mansion can be visited by advance reservation, a rare surviving example of Taisho-era residential architecture.