The Tokyo Imperial Palace occupies 3.4 square kilometres in the heart of Tokyo — prime real estate surrounded by moats, stone walls, and ancient pine trees. The Emperor and Imperial Family reside here, making most of the grounds inaccessible. However, the East Gardens (Higashi Gyoen) are open to the public as a free park, guided tours of the inner grounds run on select days, and the surrounding loop road is one of Tokyo's best walking routes.
Imperial Palace East Gardens (Higashi Gyoen)
The East Gardens were the site of the innermost part of Edo Castle (the former shogunate seat before the Imperial capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo). Open Tuesday through Sunday, 9am–4pm (closing varies by season). Free entry. The garden covers 21 hectares with traditional Japanese landscape design, seasonal flowers (plum in February, iris in June, autumn foliage in November), and several historic structures including tower ruins from the original castle.
The museum of the imperial collection inside the gardens displays rotating exhibitions of royal art objects — often extraordinary quality, rarely crowded. Free entry with garden admission.
Imperial Palace Guided Tours
The Imperial Household Agency offers free guided tours of the inner palace grounds (Kokyo Sankan) on Tuesday through Saturday, twice daily (10am and 1:30pm). The 75-minute walk covers the Nijubashi Bridge, Fujimi Tower, the ceremonial halls, and other inner areas not otherwise accessible. Tours are in Japanese with English guidebooks provided. Advance reservation required through the Imperial Household Agency website. Capacity is limited; popular periods book up quickly.
Palace Outer Grounds
The 5km loop road around the palace moats is one of Tokyo's most popular jogging and walking circuits. The moat views, stone walls, and pine trees create a serene green corridor in the middle of the city. The Kokyo Gaien (Outer Garden) on the south side, leading to the famous Nijubashi Bridge, is freely accessible and pleasant to walk through. The view of the bridge and inner gate from the gravel plaza is the classic Imperial Palace photograph.
Special Access Dates
The inner palace grounds are open to the general public on two days each year without reservation: the Emperor's Birthday (February 23) and New Year's Greeting (January 2). On these days, the Emperor and family appear on a balcony to greet visitors. Lines are long and security is tight, but the event provides the rare opportunity to see inside the normally restricted areas.
Getting There
The palace grounds are adjacent to multiple subway and train stations: Otemachi (multiple lines), Nijubashimae (Chiyoda Line), Kokyo-mae (direct access), and Tokyo Station (10-minute walk). From Tokyo Station, walk west through the Marunouchi business district to reach the outer gardens.