41. Garden Review: Kiyosumi Teien (Koto-ku)

The Kiyosumi Gardens were originally the residence of Kinokuniya Bunzaemon, a powerful businessman of the Edo period. In 1721, the estate became the second residence of a feudal lord named Kuze-Yamatonokami. Some of the garden was created at that time. In 1878, it was purchased by the founder of the Mitsubishi Financial Group, Iwasaki Yataro. Mr. Iwasaki expanded the garden and a large pond was created. He wanted a place to host company employees and guests of honor.

Water was drawn from the Sumida River to make the pond, and stones were collected from all over Japan. Some of the stones were placed in the water to form pedestrian bridges, 'ishi-watari'. A lovely 'ryotei', or traditional Japanese restaurant, was made the focal point.

In the back of the garden, there is also a lovely wooded picnic area. In 1932, the garden was donated to the city of Tokyo.

I was very impressed with this garden. There are a number of viewpoints from which no tall buildings can be seen. It is not well known, so it is usually very peaceful. The gardening is immaculate and the stepping stones are enjoyable to walk along. I definitely recommend a visit to this garden. For a pleasant day of sightseeing, start at this garden. Walk down the main street to the Fukagawa Edo Museum. Continue on to MOT, and then take a walk around Kiba Koen. Or wander along some of the waterways that criss-cross Koto-ku.

Admission: 150 yen, 70 yen for those over 65 years old. Children under 12 and Jr. high students living or attending school in Tokyo are free.

Hours of Operation: 9:00 - 17:00

Closed during the New Years holidays

Address: 3-3-9 Kiyosumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3641-5892


Access: 3 minutes walk from Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station of the Toei Oedo Line and Hanzomon Line.

40. Park Review: Kiba Koen (Koto-ku)

Kiba Koen (Park) is a huge and wonderful green oasis hidden among the flat, grid-like concrete streets of Koto-ku. It is not a sightseeing destination, but it is a great place for picnicking, throwing a Frisbee, or just running around in the grass. The park contains tennis courts, a open space for playing sports, a BBQ area, a flower garden, a large grassy lawn, playgrounds, a walking/cycling course,... A large pedestrian bridge breaks the park into two halves. MOT, the Museum of Contemporary Art - Tokyo, is located in the northern end of the park. The Fukagawa Edo Museum and Kiyosumi Garden are also nearby.

Access: 2 minute walk from Kiba Station. Paid parking is available in the southern end of the park, and at MOT.

39. Museum Review: MOT - Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Koto-ku)

I have never been a fan of museums with 'contemporary' in their titles because they are usually full of abstract art (of which I am not a fan). I made the decision to visit MOT because of a special exhibition of art by Kazuo Oga, the man behind the stunning animation art in 'Princess Mononoke', 'Howl's Moving Castle', 'Totoro',... It was a good decision.
I was pleasantly surprised by this museum. Located in a part of town not known for its architectural design, this is a beautiful building. Huge white rooms lit by natural skylights are mixed with natural wood and massive stone blocks. I agree with the museum's brochure that says 'the space itself is part of the art'.

The temporary exhibition gallery was also much larger than I expected. There were hundreds of examples of Kazuo Oga's art, spread out over two entire floors. In addition, there were films, places to take your photo with blown up copies of some of his work, a Totoro origami workshop,... I thought it was well worth the 1,100 yen exhibition fee.
With everyone viewing Oga's work, the permanent collection gallery was practically empty. Along with the standard abstract work that I do not really appreciate, there were a number of very interesting exhibits and displays that I did find very interesting. And, the museum has a number of pieces by famous foreign artists (Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein,...)

Currently the star attraction is a monstrous (and monster filled) work called 'Myth of Tomorrow' by Taro Okamoto. A very bizarre abstract, the sheer size of the piece was impressive. There are also many outdoor sculptures in the museum grounds.

In addition to the museum exhibitions; there is a restaurant, cafe, museum shop, art library, Internet cafe, and AV Gallery.

I would recommend a visit to this museum, even if your only purpose is to check out the architecture. Visit on a day the weather is nice and have a picnic in just outside in Kiba Koen (park).

**Advice concerning special exhibitions at any Japanese museums: Do not, under any circumstances, visit a special exhibition right when it opens or right before it closes. Also, don't visit on a Sunday or national holiday. Even Saturdays are mobbed. I arrived 15 minutes after the museum opened on a Thursday, there were already hundreds of people crammed into the exhibit, all of them lined up to look at each and every piece. As it was early, I just skipped the first two rooms and things thinned out. Unfortunately, this only works if you arrive just after the museum opens.

Hours of Operation: 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry at 17:30).

Closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a national holiday).

Admission for the permanent collection: Adults - 500 yen, University students - 400 yen, High school and adults over 65 - 250 yen. Jr. high students and younger are free.

There are discounts for groups over 20.

Address: Metropolitan Kiba Park, 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku 135-0022

Phone: 03-5245-4111

Access: There are a number of subways stops nearby (Kiyosumi-shirakawa, Kiba, Kikukawa,...). There are also buses from Tokyo and Kinshicho Stations, and paid parking is available.

Website: http://www.mot-art-museum.jp/

**Free entry to the permanent collection with the Grutt Pass 2007 (#41).

**Grutt Pass also has a discount coupon for special exhibitions.

38. Museum Review: Basho Museum (Koto-ku)

Matsuo Basho is one of Japan's most famous poets; he is credited with establishing the present form of haiku, and for helping haiku become accepted as a major literary genre.

A small museum was opened in 1981 to exhibit artifacts related to Basho and to other writers of haiku. The museum was built on land that once held a cottage that Basho used as the base for his journeys around Japan.

Unfortunately, to enjoy this museum, you must be able to read Japanese fluently. Most of the displays are haiku, but there are no English translations.
There is a small garden outside the museum. If you are in the neighborhood, walk up through it to the riverside, then take a short walk to the left. There is a nice memorial to Basho with good views of the Sumida River and some of the river's famous bridges.

Hours of Operation: 9:30 - 17:00. Closed on Mondays and from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4.

Address: Tokiwa 1-6-3, Koto-ku. About 7 minutes walk from Morishita Station on the Oedo Shinjuku Line.

Phone: 03-3631-1448

**Free entry with Grutt Pass 2007 (#40)

28. Museum Review: Miraikan (Odaiba)

The Miraikan is my favorite new discovery, what an excellent museum! Mirai means future, and the Miraikan is Tokyo's 'National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation'. The building itself is gorgeous, and it is filled with an overwhelming amount of stimulating scientific information.

There are exhibits on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th floors, and on the 6th is a dome theater, 'Gaia'. The showpiece of the museum is the large globe, suspended from the ceiling, made of a million LED's. The 1st floor exhibition space is currently under renovation.

The 3rd floor exhibits are divided into two topics: 'Inovation & the Future' and 'Information Science & Technology for Society'.

The 5th floor exhibits are also divided into two topics: 'Life Science' and 'The Earth Environment & Frontiers'. There is an in depth focus on 'green' technology.
I am not going to even try to describe what you'll see. You just have to go there for yourself. If you have any interest in science, you'll be here all day. Even if you hate science, you'll probably change your mind after one visit to the Miraikan.

Extremely knowledgable volunteers are on hand to explain all of the displays and to help with the interactive exhibits. I do not know if they speak any English. But, no matter, everything in the museum is explained in depth, in both Japanese and English.
I would recommend this museum for Jr. high students and older, the subject matter was quite sophisticated. I saw some college students picking the brains of the volunteers, one young woman was taking pages of notes! That said, the elementary school kids that I saw were also really enjoying themselves. Especially in the robot making department above!

Reservations are required for the 112 seat dome theater. Pick up a numbered ticket at the ticket machine on the 6th floor. As soon as you arrive in the museum, go straight to the 6th floor and pick up a ticket. I was very disappointed that we were unable to get a reservation, the movie topics looked really interesting. This museum is a 'must see', and its location make it easy and fun to visit. With so many other things to do in Odaiba, it is a great 'day trip' within Tokyo.

Address: 2-41 Aomi, Koto-ku
Phone: 03-3570-9151
Open 10am to 5pm. Closed Tuesdays (except for national holidays)

Admission: Adults 500 yen, children 200 yen (18 and under)

Nearest station: Telecom Center station on the Yurikamome line (A four-minute walk in the direction of Odaiba and the Fuji TV building)

English website:
http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/index_e.html

**Free entry with Grutt Pass 2007 (#45)

15. Museum Review: Fukagawa Edo Museum (Koto-ku)

The Fukagawa Edo Museum is actually a reproduction of 19th century riverside Edo. Visitors can walk around the narrow 'streets', exploring the shops and homes as they go. It is not a large museum, but it a good way to get a feel for what life was like many years ago in Tokyo.


A large screen on one wall changes colors to imitate different times of the day, mostly sunset. All of the structures can be entered, many of the props inside can be picked up and examined. There is no information in English, but this is not a problem as most of the exhibits are self explanatory.

This is not a museum you can spend the day in, more like an hour. It is, however, located in a part of town that most foreigners never visit. If you decide to visit, wander the main street as it is very quaint. It is even better in September when they hold a scarecrow contest.

Other sightseeing spots nearby include the Kiyosumi Teien (garden) and MOT (the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo). Both have been reviewed on this site.

Address: 1-3-28 Shirakawa, Koto-ku, 135-0021
Tel: 03-3630-8625

Admission: Adults: 300 yen, Jr. high and Elementary School Students: 50 yen.
*No admission allowed to children not accompanied by adults.

Hours of Operation: 9:30 - 17:00 (last entry at 16:30), closed the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month (closed the next day if it is a national holiday). It is also closed around the year end, for changes to the exhibition - 6/12 - 16, and 2/13 - 15, and random maintenance days.

Access: By train - 3 minute walk from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station (Toei Oedo Line & Hanzomon Line)

Website (Japanese only): http://www.kcf.or.jp/index2.html

**Free entry with Grutt Pass 2007 (#42)