Castle & Palace · Marunouchi / Chiyoda
Nijubashi Bridge (Imperial Palace) 二重橋
Tokyo's most iconic royal postcard: two stone-and-iron bridges stacked in perspective over the moat, with the white Fushimi-yagura turret behind, seen from the vast gravel Imperial Palace Plaza.
About
The name Nijubashi ('double bridge') is used for the pair of bridges leading to the Imperial Palace's main gate: the elegant twin-arched Seimon Ishibashi stone bridge in front, and the Seimon Tetsubashi iron bridge behind it, which replaced an older wooden bridge built in two tiers. From the Kokyo Gaien plaza you see both lined up with the 17th-century Fushimi-yagura watchtower, one of the few original Edo Castle structures still standing. The bridges themselves are closed to the public except during the emperor's New Year greeting (2 January) and the Emperor's Birthday greeting (23 February), and on the palace tours, but the viewpoint is open around the clock. The surrounding pine-studded plaza leads to the bronze statue of samurai Kusunoki Masashige.
Highlights
- Twin-arched Seimon Ishibashi with Seimon Tetsubashi framed behind it
- Fushimi-yagura turret, an original Edo Castle watchtower
- Wide gravel Imperial Palace Plaza dotted with 2,000 black pines
- Kusunoki Masashige equestrian statue nearby
- Imperial Guard sentries at the Seimon gate
Tips
- Best shot is from the railing at the end of the plaza, slightly to the left, at golden hour or blue hour when lamps on the bridge glow.
- Only on 2 Jan and 23 Feb (and on the official palace tour) can you actually cross the bridges.
- Walk 10 min from Tokyo Station's Marunouchi Central Exit straight down Gyoko-dori, the tree-lined boulevard is a sight in itself.
Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09
Save Nijubashi Bridge (Imperial Palace) to your trip, see reviews and photos from travelers, and get directions.
Open in the appNearby
- Sakuradamon GateCastle & Palace · 160 m away
- Red Brick Building of the Ministry of JusticeLandmark & Tower · 510 m away
- Kokyo Gaien National GardenCastle & Palace · 510 m away
- Statue of Kusunoki MasashigeStatue & Monument · 540 m away
- Hibiya ParkPark · 700 m away
- Imperial Palace Grounds Public TourCastle & Palace · 710 m away
- Seikado Bunko Art MuseumMuseum · 780 m away
- Meiji SeimeikanLandmark & Tower · 790 m away