Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is in Koto-ku, east of central Tokyo and just inland of the Sumida River. The closest station shares the name and sits on two lines: Toei Oedo and Tokyo Metro Hanzomon. From Shinjuku the Oedo runs there in about half an hour, no transfer.
This was the Fukagawa timber district — the warehouses on these blocks supplied Edo and stayed in use through the postwar years, until land subsidence pushed most yards east to Shin-Kiba. The warehouses that remained got handed to roasters, galleries, and cafés. Three of those are below.
Where to go
Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi-Shirakawa
- Best
- Mornings
- Hours
- 8:00–19:00
Blue Bottle opened this in February 2015 — their first store outside the US, and still their Japan flagship. The cafe and the roastery share one converted warehouse a few minutes from the station.
Kiyosumi Gardens
- Price
- ¥150 (¥70 65+)
- Best
- Mornings or late afternoon
- Hours
- 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
A stroll-style (kaiyu-shiki) garden around a central pond, with stepping stones laid across one corner of the water. Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of Mitsubishi, bought the estate in 1878 and used it as a corporate retreat. His family handed it to Tokyo in 1924, the city opened it to the public in 1932, and it has been listed as a Tokyo Metropolitan Place of Scenic Beauty since 1979. Admission is ¥150 (¥70 for visitors over 65). It closes only over New Year, 29 December to 1 January.
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
- Price
- ¥500 (collection)
- Hours
- 10:00–18:00, closed Mon
MOT, as it's usually known, opened in 1995 in Kiba Park, just east of the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa core. The collection is around 5,700 works, postwar Japanese plus international — Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kusama, Atsuko Tanaka, Tatsuo Miyajima, Andy Warhol, David Hockney. There's no fixed permanent hang; the museum cycles works through thematic shows. Entry to the collection is ¥500. Special exhibitions are ticketed separately and usually cost more. The museum closes on Mondays (with a handful of official exceptions a year) and over New Year.
How to use this guide
The three are close enough to walk between in one outing. Two things to watch on the calendar: MOT's Monday closure (a quick check of the museum's calendar before you go is worth it — they keep a few Mondays open each year for special programming), and Kiyosumi Gardens' New Year break (29 December – 1 January).
