The Imperial Palace tour (18 06 2020)

Tours are conducted twice a day (10:00am and 13:00 one-hour tour, admission free) except Sunday, Monday and national holidays.

You can join after registration in advance or on the spot 30 min. before start.

(currently numbers are limited 20 persons in advance and 30 persons on the spot by COVID19 influence)

The Imperial Palace, former Edo castle where Tokugawa shoguns lived in.

In the palace, it can be found mixture of buildings or construction built after Meiji Restoration as well as built in Edo period.

Tour starts after through Kikyoumon gate and briefing in a visitor’s house.

After passed by buildings of the former Privy Council, you can watch Fujimi yagura (keep) .

Fujimi yagura (keep) which had important role after the main castle tower was burned down by the great fire of Meireki in 1657 and never rebuilt.

We enter into the east plaza in front of Chowaden Hall of the Kyuden (Imperial palace), where many public greetings such as New Year’s Day or Emperor’s birthday are celebrated.

We can enjoy views of the Stone bridge from the Iron bridge of main gate. Popular pictures from outside the place is like this.

Another side we can see beautiful Fushimi yagura (keep) standing on combination of stone walls and soil mound against deep moat.

It is said relocated from Fushimi castle in Kyoto.

On the way back to visitor center, the Fushimi yagura can be seen again with many buildings backdrop.

Since the buildings facing the Imperial palace are prohibited to show any advertisement, buildings look like obeying to the Fushimi yagura.

In the palace, we can find many kind of stone walls.

We can find many plants and flowers in calm environment.