Statue & Monument · Kokyo Gaien / Marunouchi

Statue of Kusunoki Masashige 楠木正成像

A 1900 bronze equestrian statue of the 14th-century loyalist samurai Kusunoki Masashige, rearing on his warhorse at the edge of the Imperial Palace Plaza, one of Tokyo's three great bronze statues.

About

Kusunoki Masashige fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the 1330s and died at the Battle of Minatogawa, becoming the ultimate symbol of loyalty to the throne. In the Meiji era that made him the perfect hero for a modern imperial state, and the Sumitomo family donated this statue, cast with copper from their Besshi mine, to mark the 200th anniversary of the mine. The work was led by sculptor Takamura Koun and his students at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, and it was unveiled in 1900. Kusunoki is shown in full armour, reining in his horse as he faces the palace, with incredible detail in the armour lacing and the horse's muscles. Along with Saigo Takamori in Ueno and Omura Masujiro at Yasukuni, it is counted among Tokyo's three great bronze statues.

Highlights

• Dramatic rearing warhorse and armour detail in bronze
• Cast with copper from Sumitomo's Besshi mine
• Made by Takamura Koun and his Tokyo School of Fine Arts team
• Faces the Imperial Palace across the pine-dotted plaza
• One of Tokyo's three great bronze statues

Tips

• Approach from the southeast side to see the horse rearing toward the palace with the Marunouchi towers behind.
• Nijubashi is about 5 to 10 minutes away across the plaza.
• Early morning has the softest light and the fewest tour groups.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Kokyo Gaien National GardenCastle & Palace · 230 m away
• Seikado Bunko Art MuseumMuseum · 280 m away
• Meiji SeimeikanLandmark & Tower · 310 m away
• Marunouchi Naka-dori AvenuePhoto Spot · 330 m away
• Coin Lockers · Hibiya StationLuggage Storage · 370 m away
• The Peninsula TokyoStay · 400 m away
• Peter: the BarBars & Nightlife · 410 m away
• Sakuradamon GateCastle & Palace · 410 m away