Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Residence and Gardens
Western residence completed 1896 · 1-3-45 Ikenohata, Taito, Tokyo, Japan
History
The 1896 Western residence was designed by Josiah Conder. Its reception spaces, adjoining Japanese house and separate billiard building illustrate an elite household combining Western and Japanese residential traditions. The estate is included as an elite private residence, not an imperial palace.
Iwasaki family — Business family / private residence owners
Visitor Information
Published hours: 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30. Closed 29 December–1 January. Admission applies to the residence-and-gardens visitor site; check the operator’s notices for temporary restrictions.
Official information checked on 9 October 2026; day-of-visit availability is not guaranteed.
Sources and Official Website
Annual Visitor Statistics
No verified annual attendance series has been entered. Missing data is not zero.
Interiors and collections
Conder’s Western reception house
Josiah Conder’s Western house, completed in 1896, combines Jacobean decoration with Renaissance and Islamic-inspired motifs. The veranda has Minton tiles, while an upstairs guest room retains decorative gilt-leather paper. The house served family gatherings and receptions for distinguished visitors, rather than containing the whole family’s daily accommodation.
The surviving Japanese hall
The attached Japanese residence followed the shoin tradition. Only its great hall survives from the much larger Japanese complex; the family’s living quarters have been lost. Paintings on sliding doors and alcove surfaces are traditionally associated with designs by Hashimoto Gahō. This attribution is presented as a tradition in the official account, not a documented signature on every surviving panel.
Billiards and the visitor route
Conder also designed a separate wooden billiard house with a Swiss-chalet appearance and decorative wallpaper. An underground passage connects it to the Western house, but that historic connection should not be assumed to form part of the public route. The park authority explicitly notes restrictions on access to parts of the buildings. Consult current notices and the official map when planning an interior visit.
Owners and collectors: the Iwasaki family
Official sources
Sources checked 10 October 2026.