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Imperial Palace

The Imperial Palace shares the same grounds and foundations as the original Edo Castle. The Castle gained it's fame when it became the home of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in early 1600. It remained the residence of all the succeeding Shoguns until the end of the Edo Period.

Residence of the Imperial Family

In 1868, when the Shogunate finally lost their power, the Castle became the offical abode of the new Emperor Meiji and the Imperial family. At the same time, the Emperor relocated the capital from Kyoto to Edo, and renamed Edo to the name we know today - Tokyo.

The Imperial Palace has seen some pretty turbulent times as it remained the main bastion for all the Shoguns during the Tokugawa Period and later, during WWII, was largely devastated during the firebombing of Tokyo.

It is characterized by the typical Japanese style stone walls that surround it and the moat that circles the main Palace.

Bordered on all sides by beautiful greenery, this is a mini oasis in the heart of the city, and a place where many come to chill out and take a break from the crowds in the busy Marunouchi district next door.

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How To Get To The Palace

The Imperial Palace is only a 10 minute walk from Tokyo Station on the Yamanote Line or Otemachi Line on the subway. It can be found right next door to one of the most expensive and luxurious areas of Tokyo - Marunouchi.

The Imperial Palace inner garden and grounds are closed to the general public with 2 very important exceptions. If you will be here on December 23rd or January 2nd, if you are prepared to queue with thousands of others, you are able to enter the inner garden and, if you are lucky, see the Imperial family themselves as they make several appearances during the day.

Why these dates? December 23rd is the Emperor's birthday and January 2nd is when the Imperial family give their Japanese New Year greeting.

Want to know more about special dates? See our Japanese calendar and Japanese festivals pages.

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Organized Palace Tours

It is also possible to take part in an organized guided tour of the Palace through the Imperial Household Agency.

Scroll down the page and check the headings until you see the information about reserving a place. You will need to book this in advance so make sure to plan ahead.

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East Garden and Grounds

All the grounds around the Imperial Palace, except the inner garden, are open to the public all year round - the East garden is particularly worth a visit as it contains the foundations from the original central keep of the castle - the only real remnants from this building.

If you take the time for a stroll, you will likely see many people on their daily run as this is a popular jogging route with all Tokyoites - from Olympic marathon contenders to your daily exercisers. During the cherry blossom festival, this is a popular spot to enjoy the sakura blooms in all their glory.

Just up the road (North) you will find the Budokan Hall which was built for the judo competition in the 1964 Olympic Games. These days you can see a variety of concerts there as well as a range of martial art events. Also within walking distance - 10-15 minutes - is Yasukuni Shrine.