The Imperial Palace open for public only twice a year, one during the New Year, another day is on the Emperor Birthday. The Tokyo Imperial Palace is home to the emperor, but it also has an amazing garden and various historical architectures. We use location data to provide you with accurate tourism info. Hour-long tours of the palace run daily at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. How to Get There. Other areas, such as the East Gardens, open at 9 am, except on Mondays, Fridays, and the New Year holidays. © Copyright 2020. Tours run twice each day except on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. Copyright © Japan National Tourism Organization. He serves alongside his wife, Empress Masako.
However, the view from the outside was lovely. Points of interest visited on the tour include the Kikyomon Gate, the Mt. Note that none of the buildings are entered during the tours. East Gardens, Tokyo Imperial Palace, Tokyo. Learn how your comment data is processed. This gate is a watari-yagura or a building used for both storage and defense. JRailPass.com » Japan Travel Blog » Destinations » Tokyo » 500 guests are accepted each day, with 300 spaces available for on-the-day registration, so you have a good chance of getting in, as long as you arrive early. The innermost grounds of the palace are generally not open to the public with the exception of guided tours and special holidays. Required fields are marked *. It's a great walk from Tokyo Station to the Palace. The Imperial Palace moved to Tokyo in 1868. Elegant and simplistic gardens. Should visit once when you are in Tokyo. All this options are covered by the Japan Rail Pass. A sturdy stone wall surrounded by a vast moat. Moats, guardhouses, and the foundation of a castle tower excite the imagination. Highlights of the tour include the chance to see the Kyuden, or main palace, and the Fujimi-yagura watchtower. They are held on Tuesday through Saturday at 10 am and 1:30 pm. Much of the Palace grounds are closed to the public. But there’s more to it than the modern Royal Family, the Imperial Palace is steeped in even more history and fascinating facts. The palace was originally built as the Imperial Palace for the Crown Prince (東宮御所, Togu gosho) in 1909. So keep an eye out! Over time, many of the castle structures were damaged by fire or earthquake and subsequently replaced. Today, the function of the Emperor is purely symbolic. One of the top attractions in Tokyo, the Imperial Palace stands as one of the key monuments and institutions in modern Tokyo.