Former Tokugawa Akitake Garden in Tojyotei
Do you know Tokugawa Akitake, a Japanese aristocrat?
Even if you don’t know him, you probably know about Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Japan’s last shogun.
Akitake was the nephew of Tokugawa Yoshinobu and was a member of the Tokugawa family who lived through the turbulent period from the collapse of the Edo Shogunate to the beginning of the Meiji era.
You can see the Tojo Residence, the mansion where Tokugawa Akitake lived, and its garden in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture.
What was Tokugawa Akitake’s residence, Tojotei ?
The Tojo residence and its garden are the only buildings that remain almost completely intact as the residence of the Tokugawa family from the Meiji era, descended from the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The building is a purely Japanese-style wooden one-story building (some are two-story buildings), and was constructed by Akitake Tokugawa.
The garden of the Tojo Residence began full-scale landscaping in 1884, when the residence was opened to the public. The undulating lawn that spreads to the south of the main house, the trees that decorate its edges, and the borrowed scenery of the Edogawa River below and Mt. Fuji in the distance create a scenic view that well represents the characteristics of gardens from the Meiji period.
Its artistic value and academic value in the history of Japanese gardens were recognized, leading to it being designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 2015.
Take a stroll around the Tokugawa family residence, Tojotei
Let’s take a walk inside the mansion. Currently, there are nine buildings connected by corridors, and there are a total of 23 rooms.
It is the only building that remains almost completely of the Tokugawa family’s residence from the Meiji period, so you can fully enjoy the living space of a former “daimyo” family.
Of course, you can also walk through the garden, which was one of the reasons why it was designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
If you go in the fall, you’ll be greeted by colorful autumn leaves.
How do you get to Tojotei?
The Togami residence is located in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture. It is a 10-minute walk from Matsudo Station on the JR Joban Line.
There is also a dedicated parking lot, so we recommend coming by car.
It is the residence of Tokugawa Akitake. Admission to Tojotei is 150 yen for adults, 100 yen for students, and free for children.
For more information, please check the Matsudo City official website.
If you come to Matsudo on the JR Joban Line, be sure to stop by the Tokugawa family residence, Tojotei
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