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All Japan Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden
AO Edited

Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden

Home to a garden of poisonous plants and the only legal cannabis and opium farms in Tokyo.

Kodaira, Japan

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Fred Cherrygarden
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  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The garden of poisonous plants.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A wooded oasis off the busy metropolis.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Cacao.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Pitcher plants.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Behind the fences are cannabis and poppies.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Unsurprisingly, the security is quite tight.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Unripe blueberries.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden, located in the city of Kodaira in the western suburbs of the Japanese capital, is not quite your typical green space. 

Founded in 1946, the seven-acre herbarium is split into 14 sections that consist of specifically-themed greenhouses, farms, and gardens, which are home to more than 1,600 plant species. Most of them have medicinal uses in one way or another, from traditional Chinese medicine to modern pharmaceutics to culinary pursuits. The grounds host common species such as plum and peony, poisonous plants such as clematis and spider lily, both domestic and exotic.

The garden is particularly known for its experimental crops in a section guarded by double fences and multiple security cameras. This is the only farm in Tokyo where opium poppy and cannabis are legally grown, but under strict surveillance. 

Related Tags

Botany Flora Medicine Botanical Gardens Herbs Poison Plants Gardens

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Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Entry is free!

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

August 5, 2024

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Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden
Kodaira, 187-0033
Japan
35.732388, 139.434924
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