Castle & Palace · Marunouchi / Chiyoda

Imperial Palace East Gardens 皇居東御苑

The free-entry former core of Edo Castle: colossal stone walls, moats, guardhouses and the bare foundations of the donjon that once made this the world's largest castle, now a spacious garden in the heart of Marunouchi.

Hours9:00–16:00 (Nov–Feb), 16:30 (Oct), 17:00 (Mar–mid-Apr & Sep), 18:00 (mid-Apr–Aug); last entry 30 min before

ClosedMondays and Fridays (open on national holidays except the Emperor's Birthday); late Dec–early Jan

PriceFree

Getting thereOtemachi Station (Marunouchi / Chiyoda / Hanzomon / Tozai / Mita Line), 5 min; Tokyo Station Marunouchi North Exit, 10 min

Time needed1–1.5 hours

Best timeWeekday mornings; late March for cherry blossoms

Address1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo

Websitesankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/kouk

About

When the shogunate fell in 1868 the emperor moved into Edo Castle, and the innermost honmaru and ninomaru enclosures were later opened as the East Gardens in 1968. Enter through the Otemon gate, pass the massive Hyakunin Bansho guardhouse where 100 samurai once stood watch, and climb to the grassy honmaru plateau. At its north end rise the foundations of the tenshudai, the base of a donjon that burned in 1657 and was never rebuilt, climb on top for a view across the lawns. The Ninomaru garden below has a Kobori Enshu–style stroll garden, an iris field and a koi pond, and the Sannomaru Shozokan museum of imperial collections reopened in a new building. Free tokens are issued at the gate and returned when you leave.

Highlights

Otemon gate and the 100-samurai Hyakunin Bansho guardhouse
Tenshudai: stone base of Edo Castle's lost donjon, climbable for views
Fujimi-yagura, a surviving three-storey keep, glimpsed from the honmaru
Ninomaru stroll garden with koi pond and June irises
Tree collection with one species from each of Japan's prefectures

Tips

Closed Mondays and Fridays, the most common planning mistake.
Enter via Otemon (Otemachi Station Exit C13a) and exit via Kitahanebashi to continue to Kitanomaru Park and Chidorigafuchi.
Free Imperial Palace guided tours of the inner grounds run separately and need booking or same-day tokens via the Imperial Household Agency.
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, which is as early as 16:00 in winter.

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Imperial Palace East Gardens 皇居東御苑

About

Highlights

Tips

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