Kiyosumi Teien (Kiyosumi Garden)

This marvellous garden was the first location to be designated a site of scenic beauty by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government – and it’s easy to see why. The origins of Kiyosumi Teien date back to 1721 when it was a villa for a daimyō. Although the villa itself was destroyed in the 1923 earthquake, the property thereafter was purchased by Iwasaki Yatarō, founder of the Mitsubishi Corporation. He was able to use company ships to transport prize stones here from all over Japan – count all 50 (they’re numbered). They’re set around a pond ringed with Japanese black pine, hydrangeas, Taiwan cherries and other plants designed to bloom at different times of the year.