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Updated: October 11, 2019

Discover an old area with a rich history and a tradition of papermaking

The area around Oji Station is rich with history, where papermakers, the city’s elite, and ancient shrines once thrived. Sit under cherry trees in one of Tokyo’s best parks, learn about the history of paper at a unique museum, and wander through ornate gardens.

General Tips

  • With its large playground and water play area, Asukayama Park is ideal for families
  • Visit Asukayama Park in early April to see its hundreds of cherry trees in bloom
  • For a full afternoon, pair your visit to the Paper Museum with one of several other nearby museums
  • Be sure to leave enough time to enjoy Kyu-Furukawa Gardens before the gates close at 5 p.m.

Map Legend

  • Walking
  • Taxi
  • Bus
  • Train
  • Water Bus

Oji Station

1

This scenic station offers access to many relaxing parks and museums

Oji Station

Oji Station services JR East on the Keihin-Tohoku Line and Tokyo Metro on the Namboku Line. It is also a stop on the Tokyo Sakura Tram line. Oji Station is 16 minutes from Tokyo Station on the Keihin Line.

Walking5 mins

Asukayama Park

2

This large park has something for everyone: a large playground and water play area for kids, tons of cherry trees, and three museums

Asukayama Park

A small free monorail connects Oji Station with the north side of Asukayama Park, which is actually a small hill that stretches alongside the station. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune planted nearly 650 cherry trees here in the early 18th century, which remain today. In 1873, it became one of Japan’s first public parks. Asukayama features a large playground as well as an old tram car and steam locomotive that kids and adults alike are welcome to explore. There’s also a water play area complete with a large fountain and stream, ideal for kids during the hot summer season. You can find Oji-jinja Shrine, one of Tokyo’s most important shrines, on the north side of the park. The south side of the park features three museums: the Kita City Asukayama Museum on early Japanese history, the Shibusawa Memorial Museum dedicated to famous industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi, and the Paper Museum.

Walking5-10 mins

Paper Museum

3

Learn about the history of paper in Japan and try your hand at papermaking

Paper Museum

The Paper Museum first opened in 1950 on the site of Tokyo’s first Western-style paper company. Now in a new location, the museum boasts more than 40,000 artifacts and 10,000 books related to paper. The permanent exhibit covers 2,000 years of paper-related history and includes interesting displays on washi, traditional Japanese paper. Workshops are held on papermaking throughout the year.

Walking15 mins

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens.jpg

4

Enjoy an afternoon escape at this British-style estate with impressive gardens

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens

Once the home of Mutsu Munemitsu, a nobleman of the Meiji period, Kyu-Furukawa Gardens was passed to the Furukawa family through marriage. It is notable for its British-style mansion and gardens designed by British architect Josiah Conder, which juxtapose nicely with its Japanese garden designed by landscape architect Ogawa Jihei of Kyoto. The British garden features a lovely geometric rose garden while the Japanese garden features a shinji-ike, a pond in the shape of the Chinese character for heart. A teahouse offers a serene view of the pond, which you can enjoy with tea and a sweet for a small fee. The gardens are particularly pretty in November, when you can see roses bloom alongside colorful Japanese maple trees.

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