Imperial Palace East Gardens

Edo Castle was the largest fortress in Japan and the seat of the Tokugawa from 1603; the emperor moved into it in 1868 and the inner enclosures became the palace. The East Gardens are the honmaru and ninomaru - the innermost baileys - opened to the public in 1968, and what survives is the stonework: enormous fitted walls, the Otemon gate, guardhouses, and the base of the great keep. That keep was five storeys and the tallest in Japan; it burned in the Meireki fire of 1657 and was never rebuilt, because the domain decided the money was better spent on the city, so what stands is a bare stone platform you can climb with nothing on top. Lawns and a Japanese garden fill the rest. The palace proper is not open except on two days a year and by tour of the outer grounds.

History

The gardens lie on the grounds of Edo Castle, whose Ōte-mon was the main gate used by the feudal lords who came to stay under the alternate attendance system. Work on the modern gardens began in 1961, and they opened on 1 October 1968, covering more than 210,000 square metres (Wikipedia, Imperial Palace East Garden).

Highlights

• The keep base - a bare stone platform where the tallest castle in Japan stood until 1657.
• Edo stonework - massive fitted walls, the Otemon gate and surviving guardhouses.
• The inner baileys - honmaru and ninomaru, opened to the public in 1968.
• A Japanese garden - laid out in the ninomaru with a pond and seasonal planting.

When to go

Late March for cherry, November for colour. Two hours. Closed Mondays and Fridays.

Practical notes

There is no castle - only foundations and gates. The gardens close two days a week and early in the afternoon in winter. The palace itself is not accessible except on two days a year. Shade is limited and Tokyo summers are severe.

Nearby

Tokyo station is east; Kitanomaru and the Budokan are north.

Key facts