- Join for free
- Sign In
Latest Tokyo hotel reviews
Helpfulness
The Imperial Palace is the heart and soul of Tokyo. Built on the very spot where Edo Castle used to stand during the days of the Tokugawa shogunate, it became the imperial home at its completion in 1888. Destroyed during air raids in 1945, the palace was rebuilt in 1968 using the principles of traditional Japanese architecture. But don't expect to get a good look at it; most of the palace grounds are off-limits to the public, with the exception of 2 days a year when the royal family makes an appearance before the throngs: New Year's Day and on the Emperor's birthday (Dec 23). You'll have to console yourself with a camera shot of the palace from the southeast side of Nijubashi Bridge, with the moat and the palace turrets showing above the trees. The wide moat, lined with cherry trees, is especially beautiful in the spring. You might even want to spend an hour strolling the 4km (3 miles) around the palace and moat.
But the most important thing to do while in the vicinity of the palace is to visit its Higashi Gyoen (East Garden), where you'll find what's left of the central keep of old Edo Castle, the stone foundation.
Written Feb 25, 2003
Address: Marunouchi district
It's a pleasant walk to spend a couple of hours, starting at the north-west gardens (kitanomaru-koen park), then going south to the main entrance, visiting the rests of the outer walls, and ending with main gardens (near Tokyo Station).
Written Oct 1, 2002
Helpfulness
The Imperial Palace is located in the center of modern Tokyo, where Tokugawa Ieyasu built his castle at the end of the 16th century. The castle remained the political and military center until the end of the Tokugawa reign in 1867. After the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, the new imperial palace was built at the same location as the Tokugawa castle. The palace had to be rebuilt after being completely destroyed during World War II. The castle is not open to the public, with the exception of the East garden.
Written Sep 7, 2002
Helpfulness
IMPERIAL PALACE AREA....is one of the best places for leisurely exploration. There is a lot of open areas and parks. You can get a glimpse of the normally closed palace from the surrounding area and the moats are picturesque. The Imperial Palace is home to Japans Emperorand imperial family.The Palace is only open for two days of the year, but you can see part of the palace from the surrounding area with the Niju-bashi bridge in the foreground. The gardens are lovely and quite extensive. You have to pay a fee to get into the gardens but on the day we went it was closing at 4:30pm and we had arrived at 3:30 pm. If you go late in the day you get into the garden area for free and I found that an hour was quite enough time to get the feel of the place and take some fantastic pictures.
It is a place where you can relax away from the busy city .
Written Aug 26, 2002
Helpfulness
It is hard to fathom that there would be an enormous and non-modern palace in the heart of Tokyo. But there she is in all her grandeur. Only the gardens are open to the public (the Emperor still lives in the palace), but it is nonetheless something to see. Gardens and moats surround the castle, but are utilized mainly as public parks. Pack a lunch and enjoy the green space!!
Written Aug 24, 2002
Helpfulness
This is the home of the Japan's emperor and the imperial family. unluckily the palace is open to the public only two days a year, 2nd of January and 23rd of December. In any case is always possible to visit the gardens and the the famuos Niju-bashi bridge.
Written Aug 24, 2002
Edo Castle, this is part of the palace.
It has a lot of historical meanings. I think only the East Garden is open as the other parts of the castle was under construction? It was a nice walk nonetheless, there is no entrance fee.
Updated Aug 24, 2002
Helpfulness
This is the only portion of the palace complex that is open to the public. This area was the orginal entrance to the palace grounds
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Address: Chiyudo-ku
Phone: 3213-1111
Helpfulness
The Palace itself is still the home to the Imperial family and is closed to visitors. However one can snap a few photos from the plaza next to the Imperial Gardens
Updated Apr 4, 2011
This is a photo of one the guardhouses that surround the palace grounds.
Updated Apr 4, 2011
Sponsored Links
Park Hyatt Tokyo Tokyo
7 Reviews and 525 Opinions Most memorable
Grand Hyatt Tokyo Tokyo
4 Reviews and 345 Opinions This is a Grand Hyatt and while conventionally 'dependable' for a certain level of service, this...
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo Tokyo
1 Review and 354 Opinions Spent 2 nights at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Ginza. Fabulous! Probably the best city hotel I...
Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku
Imperial Palace tips and photos posted by real travelers and Tokyo locals.
Write a ReviewThis is a photo of one the guardhouses that surround the palace grounds.
748 members live in Tokyo
Q: Hi there, I am considering having a few nights stop over in Tokyo on my way back from London. However, I will have a little...
A: You don't say what your budget is so it's difficult to comment. Is it worth it? Yes. Take a look at my Tokyo page for some info to get you...
Read 7 Replies
2
After a 10-hour journey....finally reach the 1st stop at Hakone. A nice scene forest area.A cloudy sky. Taking my 1st lunch at Japan about 11am and proceed to the field of Lavender. From here you can...
3
Tokyo is a wonderful city, but March 2011 is not an ideal time for a visit. The 9.0 earthquake on 3/11/11 has been followed by hundreds of aftershocks. Although the devastating tsunami primarily...
4
Tokyo - I love this place ! Old, New, & Happening
My first visit in August 2004 How do I even begin to describe Tokyo? Let me start with my first impressions: Screaming neon lights & skyscrapers, Crowded Train Stations (clean, tidy, no graffiti to...
5
I love Tokyo. I can't say it enough, I love the place. Yeah it has its bad side. Being a gaijin (a foreigner, and specifically a white western foreigner) in Tokyo can be rough. There is a bit of...
Build your own Tokyo page
Sponsored Links
