Opened to the public in 1956, these unusual gardens feature a large Western-style house which overlooks a European rose garden, which then flows naturally down the incline into an oriental style woodland garden of much beauty.

The European garden has been planted with over 90 varieties of modern hybrid roses and parterre sections of low box hedges around colourful annuals in the manner of an Italian terraced garden. 

This is important to set off the appearance of the Western-style residence which would be totally out-of-place with an oriental garden directly next to it.

But it's been done very well, with meticulous attention to detail including name plaques for all the roses and Buxus hedging trimmed to millimetre precision. 

Banksiae roses also cover the walls as they are a symbol closely associated with Mako, the daughter of Prince Akishi-no-no-miya (the younger brother of the Crown Prince, Hiro-no-miya).

Vast blankets of trimmed Azalea cover the upper slopes, taking the eye down towards an interim terrace of Azalea pom-pom bushes and on down into the woodland setting for the Japanese precinct of the garden.

The center of the Japanese garden is the pond that was created in the shape of the Japanese pictograph for "heart" with the edges of the pond inscribing the graceful curves of the written character.

One of the key features of these well-known gardens is an excellent collection of trees, with over 2,500 large and 2,500 smaller specimens, mostly of local origin, with many having matured to impressive proportions.

This relatively new Tokyo garden was designed in two parts - the house and upper gardens by the English architect, Josiah Condor (1852 to 1920), who designed the Rokumeikan and the Nicolai Cathedral and made many contributions to the development of architecture in Japan.

Ogawa Jihei, alias Niwashi-Ueji (1860 to 1933) from Kyoto, was the designer of the lower Japanese gardens, renowned for its beauty which also complemented the rest of the grounds.

The Furukawa garden is regarded as a valuable and typical example of the gardens of the Taisho Period and are especially noted for their English-style roses, cherry blossom, azaleas, peonies and maple leaves in season.

In 1982, the garden was designated as a famous site.

If you find yourself in Tokyo with half a day to spare then Kyu-Furukawa Gardens are worth a visit.  The western, upper part is very quirky for Japan, but the lower gardens are typical of good, local gardens and a delightful space to wander, rest and reflect.