Chiyoda

The Imperial Palace site once covered a much larger area than it does today, and included the East Garden, which has been open to the public since 1968. Built by the Tokugawa shoguns, Emperor Meiji resided in one part of the garden from 1868 to 1873, before moving to a “new Imperial Palace” in another part of the complex.

In the East Garden, none of the main buildings remain except the ruins, which are the stone walls of the foundation of an old tower that served as a keep, Tenshukaku Donjon (1607) of Edo Castle. The tower was destroyed by fire (1657) and was never rebuilt. It is possible to access a platform of the old Tenshudai Castle for a view of the garden.

Right next to the ruins, an octagonal concert hall (Toka-gakudo), built in 1966 in honor of Empress Kojun on her 60th birthday, hosts artistic performances, and has a capacity of 200 people. Beloved, the empress was known for her appreciation of classical music. The colorful mosaics outside depict a bird, the sun, the moon, the stars, the pine tree, the bamboo, the plum, and music.

A museum (The Museum of the Imperial Collections), Sannomaru Shozokan (1992-3), is located within the grounds of the garden and displays several works of art from the imperial collection and also includes models of the site.

There are certainly some guard posts, the immense walls and the entrance gates that are historical. It is worth mentioning that the massive gates of the Ote-mon Gate have given access to the garden since its beginnings.

The garden is relatively large. Visiting each point of interest will take time, as they are spaced out without being impressive.

There are three (3) entrances to the park, Hirakawa-mon, Katahanebashi-mon and the most popular, Ote-mon. The latter is the closest to Tokyo station.

Entrance is free, but the park is not open every day. Check the website, as the gardens can also be closed for private events of the imperial family or other occasions.

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