Tokyo · Marunouchi, Ginza and the Imperial Palace
Imperial Palace East Gardens
How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24
Photo: Don Ramey Logan・CC BY-SA 4.0
A garden on the former main grounds of Edo Castle, with the keep's stone base, walls and guardhouses still in place. Entry is free.
- Nearest station
- 5 min walk from Otemachi Station
- Hours
- October: 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00). Hours change by season; 9:00–16:00 from November to February
- Admission
- Free (no admission fee or reservation needed)
What to see
- Tenshudai: the stone base of the castle keep. The keep burned in the great fire of 1657 and was never rebuilt.
- Fujimi Yagura: a 16 m turret, the only surviving three-roofed turret of Edo Castle.
- Site of the Great Pine Corridor: where the incident behind the famous Chushingura (47 Ronin) story took place.
- Ninomaru Garden: a stroll garden based on a mid-18th-century plan.
- Hyakunin-bansho: a 45 m-long guardhouse where four groups of 100 musketeers took turns on duty.
Seasons
- Plum trees on Bairinzaka bloom from late December to February, cherry trees from February to April, and irises from late May to mid-June.
History
Parts of Edo Castle's inner, second and third compounds were made into a garden and opened to the public in 1968.
Getting there
About 5 minutes on foot from Otemachi Station (exit C13a) to Otemon Gate, or about 15 minutes from the Marunouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station. From Takebashi Station (Tozai Line) it is about 5 minutes to Hirakawamon or Kita-hanebashimon gates.
Address：1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda, Tokyo
Before you go
Closed Mondays, Fridays and 28 Dec–3 Jan (open on national holidays except the Emperor's Birthday).
Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace
Tap a red pin to open that sight's page.
Nearby sights
← Tokyo guide: trains from Tokyo
Sources
Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.
- 宮内庁 皇居東御苑（checked 2026-10-24）
- 宮内庁 皇居東御苑（園内に残る歴史的建造物と庭園）（checked 2026-10-24）
Map data：© OpenStreetMap contributors