Kyufurukawa Gardens

I’m an old building lover and one of my favorite architects of the modern era is Josiah Condor (1852-1920), who designed several famous buildings in and around Tokyo, not least the well known Tokyo Station building. One of his less famous works, perhaps because of the untypical coloration, is the lovely city mansion at Kyufurukawa Gardens (旧古河庭園) built in 1917, in Tokyo’s northern Kita ward. I visited for the first time in the summer last year, even though I spent much of my first year in Tokyo right here in Kita ward and Ouji. If you’re into gardens, flowers and architecture, this is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon. Entrance is 150 yen and is a good final stop on day trip to the Ouji station area.