Where the Sumida River meets Tokyo Bay sits Hamarikyu, one of the city’s most special traditional gardens. Once the private retreat and duck-hunting grounds of the Tokugawa shoguns, this beautiful Edo-period landscape garden is famous for a rare feature — a large tidal pond fed by seawater from the bay, whose level rises and falls with the tides. Set against a dramatic backdrop of the gleaming Shiodome skyscrapers, it’s a perfect symbol of Tokyo’s blend of old and new.
A Seawater Garden
Hamarikyu’s centerpiece is its tidal seawater pond, the last of its kind remaining in Tokyo. Unlike ordinary freshwater garden ponds, it connects to the bay and changes with the tides, supporting saltwater fish and reflecting the garden’s long history as a coastal retreat for the ruling elite. Sluice gates once controlled the flow — a clever piece of Edo-era engineering you can still see today.
The Floating Teahouse
In the middle of the tidal pond, reached by wooden bridges, stands the lovely Nakajima teahouse, seemingly floating on the water. Here you can rest and enjoy a bowl of traditional matcha green tea and a Japanese sweet while gazing out over the pond to the skyscrapers beyond. Sipping tea in this centuries-old setting, framed by gleaming modern towers, is a uniquely Tokyo experience.
Old Pines and Flower Fields
The garden is dotted with treasures, including a magnificent 300-year-old pine tree, its sprawling branches carefully supported — one of the most impressive in Tokyo. Depending on the season you’ll also find blooming plum trees, cherry blossoms, peonies, and a much-loved field of cosmos and rapeseed flowers that brings vivid color to the grounds.
Arriving by Boat
One of the most enjoyable ways to reach Hamarikyu is by water bus down the Sumida River from Asakusa — the river cruise docks right at the garden’s own pier. Arriving this way, stepping from the boat straight into this tranquil green oasis, makes for a memorable and very pleasant approach to one of Tokyo’s loveliest gardens.
Planning Your Visit
Hamarikyu Gardens charges a small entrance fee and is a short walk from Shiodome or Tsukiji-shijo stations, or reachable by river cruise from Asakusa. Allow an hour or two to wander, and budget a little extra for the matcha experience at the teahouse. It combines beautifully with the nearby Tsukiji Outer Market and a Sumida River cruise for a full, varied day in eastern Tokyo.
More Tokyo guides: explore the full Tokyo Travel Guides series.
