From Sugamo's Togenuki Jizo and Jizo-dori to Rikugien Gardens and Kyu-Furukawa Gardens

History and Regional Charm

In the Edo period, Sugamo served as an entrance to the Nakasendo highway. Today's Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street extends along the path of that Old Nakasendo route. At Shinsho-ji Temple near the street's entrance sits one of the Edo Roku Jizo (Six Jizo of Edo), statues placed at the entrances to Edo's six main highways to watch over the safety of travelers. In Meiji 24 (1891), Togenuki Jizoson Kogan-ji Temple relocated from Ueno to Sugamo. Before long, en'nichi (temple fair days) held three times a month were introduced, and the street began to bustle as a temple approach. In the 1980s, the nickname "Granny's Harajuku" was also coined.

Within walking distance from Sugamo lie two gardens from the Edo and Taisho eras. Rikugien Gardens was created over seven years in the suburban residence (shimoyashiki) of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu after he was granted the land in Komagome in Genroku 8 (1695). Kyu-Furukawa Gardens is a garden where Furukawa Toranosuke, the third head of the Furukawa family, completed a Western-style residence and Western-style garden in Taisho 6 (1917). Entering the Meiji era, Rikugien Gardens became a villa of Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of Mitsubishi. The grounds of Kyu-Furukawa Gardens were originally the residence of Mutsu Munemitsu, later passing into the hands of the Furukawa family.

From the highway temple approach to a garden of waka poetry, and on to a garden with a Western mansion, this walking course traces the transitions of Tokyo from the Edo period to the Taisho era.

Key Highlights

• ​Togenuki Jizoson Kogan-ji Temple​​: A Soto Zen temple whose principal image, Enmei Jizo Bosatsu, is known as "Togenuki Jizo." The paper amulets reproducing the image of the principal deity, called "Osugata," are said to have the power to draw out the "thorns" of illness and worries. The Arai Kannon beside the main hall is a stone statue believed to bring healing to whatever part of the body one washes with water; today, visitors wash it using a towel or tenugui cloth.
• ​Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street​​: A temple approach leading to Kogan-ji Temple, lined with approximately 200 shops along a total length of about 780 meters. At the entrance stands Shinsho-ji Temple, where a 2.68-meter-tall Jizo statue wearing a woven hat and holding a staff sits. On fair days held on the 4th, 14th, and 24th of each month, open-air stalls line the entire street.
• ​Rikugien Gardens​​: A kaiyu-shiki (stroll-style) garden with artificial hills and ponds, counted alongside Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens as one of the two great gardens of Edo, and designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the national government. Scenes such as Wakanoura in Kishu, depicted in the "Manyoshu" and "Kokin Wakashu" poetry anthologies, are reflected here as eighty-eight scenic spots (hachiju-hakkyo). Beyond the Naitei-Daimon gate stands a weeping cherry tree, the garden's symbolic tree.
• ​Kyu-Furukawa Gardens​​: A garden designated as a national Place of Scenic Beauty, featuring a Western-style residence built on a northern hill, a Western-style garden on the slope, and a Japanese garden in the lowland. The Western residence was designed in the final years of Josiah Conder, with exterior walls built of Shin-Komatsu stone from Manazuru in unhewn stone masonry (nozura-zumi). In the Western garden, approximately 200 rose bushes of around 100 varieties bloom in spring and autumn.

Recommended Route and Duration

The estimated time required is about 5 hours. From the front exit of Sugamo Station on the JR Yamanote Line, it is about 270 meters to Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street. After viewing the Edo Roku Jizo at Shinsho-ji Temple at the entrance, proceed about 200 meters to reach the sanmon gate of Togenuki Jizoson Kogan-ji Temple. After your visit, stroll north along Jizo-dori and browse the shops. About 700 meters north of Kogan-ji Temple, you will arrive at Koshinzuka Stop on the Toden Arakawa Line. On temple fair days, it becomes very crowded, so visiting by train or bus is recommended.

After returning to Sugamo Station, head toward Rikugien Gardens, which is about a 15-minute walk from Sugamo Station. Enter through the main gate, pass through the Naitei-Daimon gate to see the weeping cherry tree, and stroll along the paths circling the pond.

About 1 kilometer north of Rikugien Gardens is Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. After viewing the Western-style residence atop the hill, descend the slope through the Western garden toward the Japanese garden in the lowland. There are many stairs and inclines inside the garden. For the return trip, it is a 7-minute walk to either Kaminakazato Station on the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line or Nishigahara Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. It is a 12-minute walk to Komagome Station on the JR Yamanote Line.

Summary of the Experience

A temple approach stretching along the Old Nakasendo highway, a Jizo statue that pulls out "thorns," a Genroku-era garden reflecting poetic landscapes, and a Taisho garden with a Western residence and roses. Along the short route from Sugamo to Komagome, the daily life and pastimes from the Edo to Taisho eras overlap. Enjoy temple visits, shopping, and strolling through two distinct gardens all in one day.