Kyū Shiba-rikyū Gardens
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
- Hamamatsuchō Station · 1 min walk (JR Yamanote Line, JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line)
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Admission
- ¥150 (adults), ¥70 (seniors 65+), free (primary school children and Tokyo-resident junior high students)
- Time needed
- 30–45 min
- Best time to go
- Late April to early May when the central wisteria trellis blooms purple beside the pond.
Hours can change on holidays — check the official site before travelling.
About
Nestled among Hamamatsuchō's skyscrapers, this Edo-period stroll garden is one of Tokyo's oldest surviving clan gardens. It is worth visiting for its striking contrast of traditional stone bridges, plum blossoms, and a central pond set against a backdrop of modern high-rises. Expect a compact, tranquil oasis that is much quieter than nearby Hama-rikyū, making it ideal for a quick, peaceful escape.
What Japanese guides note
Kyū Shiba-rikyū has only one entrance and exit gate, located on its west edge just outside Hamamatsuchō Station's North Exit. The park has no restaurants, gift shops, or operational teahouses, though visitors may eat self-brought lunches on installed benches. The property is frequently confused with the much larger Hama-rikyū Gardens, but the two are distinct parks separated by a 15-minute walk.
Details from local sources
- The central pond originally filled and drained with Tokyo Bay salt tides, but urban land reclamation severed the sea connection, turning it into a freshwater pond with the stone intake sluice ruins still visible. [source]
- The stone causeway traversing the pond is an intentional Edo-period reproduction of the Su Causeway across West Lake in Hangzhou, China. [source]
- The bridge leading to Ōshima island is named Tai-bashi because it was chiseled out of a single slab of Nebukawa stone shaped like a sea bream. [source]
- The dry waterfall formation, Karedaki, is designed so that visitors walk directly along the dry stone riverbed at the base of the miniature gorge. [source]
- The pond revetment edges are constructed out of porous black volcanic basalt quarried from Mount Fuji, known as Fuji kurobokuseki. [source]
- After the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake destroyed the garden's palace buildings and trees, the site was gifted to Tokyo City in January 1924 to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Hirohito. [source]
Insider Tip
Enter via the northwest gate right next to Hamamatsucho Station; it is a perfect 30-minute stopover before taking the Monorail to Haneda.
Frequently asked
Can you walk between Kyū Shiba-rikyū and Hama-rikyū Gardens?
Visitors often confuse this garden with nearby Hama-rikyū Gardens, but they are separate entities with separate admissions. Walking between Kyū Shiba-rikyū and Hama-rikyū's Naka-gomon gate takes approximately 15 minutes along coastal streets. Kyū Shiba-rikyū is much smaller, older, and focused primarily on rugged Edo-period stone arrangements.
Are food, picnicking, and alcohol permitted inside?
Visitors may bring boxed meals to eat on wooden benches throughout the grounds. Ground mats and leisure sheets are permitted only on the lawn beside the back hill, and industrial blue tarps are banned for aesthetic preservation. Bringing or consuming alcoholic beverages is prohibited throughout the entire garden property.
Does Kyū Shiba-rikyū still have seawater in its pond?
No. Although constructed in 1678 as a saltwater tidal garden that changed scenic character with Tokyo Bay's tide cycles, outer land reclamation severed water channels decades ago. The pond is now filled with freshwater, though the stone ruins of the original seawater intake gate remain visible along the eastern bank.
Are guided tours available in the garden?
Free 45-to-60-minute volunteer guided tours take place every Saturday and Sunday starting at 14:00 beneath the wisteria trellis. These tours do not operate during July and August due to summer heat concerns, and cancel during heavy rain. Advance reservations are not needed, but regular park admission fees still apply.
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