Imperial Palace East Gardens, Kokyo Gaien, Nijubashi and Chidorigafuchi guide: history, hidden spots and events nearby
Edo Castle was founded in 1457 by the samurai Ota Dokan, became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, and eventually provided the site for Japan's Imperial Palace. Its former central compounds are now incorporated into the Imperial Palace East Gardens, which opened to the public in 1968. Beyond the gardens, visitors can see the famous Nijubashi bridges and explore Chidorigafuchi, where approximately 140 cherry trees line a 700-meter promenade beside a historic castle moat.
Kyochika's tips
- Kyochika recommends approaching this vast historical district as several interconnected places rather than a single enclosed garden. Begin with the former castle compounds, where guardhouses and stone foundations reveal how the shogunate organized its defenses, then continue toward the formal imperial landscape of Kokyo Gaien.
- For travelers interested in architecture and history, the East Gardens deserve the greatest attention. In spring, consider adding Chidorigafuchi for its cherry trees; in other seasons, the moat and surviving fortifications provide a different perspective on the scale of Edo Castle.
- Because the East Gardens and Chidorigafuchi are separate destinations, Kyochika suggests allowing generous time for the connections and checking the garden's seasonal closing hour before setting out.
Visiting info
| Hours | East Gardens: March 1–April 14, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); April 15–August 31, 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30); September 1–30, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); October 1–31, 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00); November 1–February 28, 9:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30). These hours apply to the East Gardens, not the entire Kokyo Gaien area. |
|---|---|
| Closed | East Gardens: every Monday and Friday, except national holidays other than the Emperor's Birthday, February 23. If a national holiday falls on Monday, the gardens close the following Tuesday. Also closed December 28–January 3 and when required for Imperial Court functions or other circumstances. |
| Admission | East Gardens: free, according to the Imperial Household Agency. |
| Access | East Gardens address: 1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Public entrances are Ote-mon Gate, Hirakawa-mon Gate and Kitahanebashi-mon Gate. The nearby Museum of the Imperial Collections lists Otemachi Station Exit C13a as a 5-minute walk and Tokyo Station Marunouchi North Exit as a 15-minute walk. For Kokyo Gaien, Nijubashimae Station is a 4-minute walk, Hibiya Station is a 3–4-minute walk, and JR Tokyo Station is a 13-minute walk according to the Ministry of the Environment. |
Checked on 2026-11-03 against the official pages. Hours and fees can change; please check before you go.
Sources: Imperial Household Agency — East Gardens / Ministry of the Environment — Kokyo Gaien / Ministry of the Environment — Former Edo Castle
How did the fortress of the Tokugawa shoguns become Japan's Imperial Palace?
The historical identity of the Imperial Palace grounds begins with Edo Castle. In 1457, the samurai Ota Dokan constructed a castle occupying the areas that would become the Honmaru, Ninomaru and Sannomaru compounds. These names remain important today because parts of those compounds survive as the publicly accessible East Gardens. The landscape has changed profoundly, yet its surviving defensive features still reveal its original purpose. The extensive stonework, gates and moats were not decorative additions to a palace garden. They formed part of the structure of a major military and political fortress.
Tokugawa Ieyasu took up residence at Edo Castle in 1590 and became the first Tokugawa shogun in 1603. Edo Castle subsequently served as the home of the shoguns and the center of the samurai government that ruled Japan until 1867. The second and third Tokugawa shoguns, Hidetada and Iemitsu, extended the castle, with the work completed by 1660. Within the Honmaru stood the shogun's palace and the great castle keep. This organization placed political authority deep within a series of defensive compounds, approached through gates and protected by imposing walls and moats.
The end of shogunal government transformed the castle's political significance. After Tokugawa rule ended in 1867, Edo Castle was transferred to the new imperial government. The Ministry of the Environment records that the Imperial Palace has occupied the former castle site since 1868, while the Emperor moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1869. The castle's former role as the residence and headquarters of military rulers was thus replaced by its association with the Imperial Household. Fires had already destroyed many of the original buildings, and a major fire in 1873 caused further destruction. The current Imperial Palace buildings were completed in 1968 within the former Nishinomaru compound.
The East Gardens opened to the public in 1968, incorporating parts of the Honmaru, Ninomaru and Sannomaru. Their present character is unusual because the garden landscape and historic military structures are encountered together. Visitors can study original defensive features, locate the former keep and explore planted areas associated with the modern gardens. The result is a layered historical landscape rather than a reconstruction of Edo Castle at a single moment in time. So when you visit, look for the surviving guardhouses, the enormous Tenshudai foundation and the changes in elevation that reveal the organization of the former fortress.
Sources: Imperial Household Agency — East Gardens / Ministry of the Environment — Former Edo Castle / Ministry of the Environment — Kokyo Gaien
What occupied this ground before the Imperial Palace?
The official historical sources establish that Edo Castle was founded in 1457, but they do not identify specific structures on this exact site approximately 1,200 years ago. It would therefore be inappropriate to assign an unverified ancient building or settlement to the present palace grounds. The securely documented castle history begins with Ota Dokan's medieval fortress. Approximately 400 years ago, the site had become the center of Tokugawa political power. The castle had undergone extensive development, with central compounds occupied by the shogun's residence and surrounded by a system of defenses.
Approximately 150 years ago, the grounds were undergoing another major transformation. The Tokugawa government had ended, Edo Castle had passed to the imperial government, and the Emperor had moved to Tokyo. A devastating fire in 1873 destroyed much of the castle. These changes explain why the present visitor experience includes surviving defensive architecture alongside modern imperial buildings and garden landscapes. The site's meaning shifted from the governmental center of the shogunate to the setting of the Imperial Household.
Sources: Ministry of the Environment — Former Edo Castle / Ministry of the Environment — Kokyo Gaien
Why does Nijubashi mean Double Bridge?
The famous Imperial Palace photograph includes the Main Gate Stone Bridge in front, the Main Gate Iron Bridge farther back and the Fushimi watchtower beyond. Visitors sometimes interpret the name Nijubashi as a reference to the two bridges appearing together in the view. The Ministry of the Environment, however, explains that Nijubashi properly refers to the Iron Bridge.
During the Edo period, its wooden predecessor was reinforced underneath by a further wooden bridge because of its height above the moat. This doubled construction explains the name. The distinction makes the familiar palace view more interesting: the scene brings together separate architectural elements, each with its own function and history.
Sources: Ministry of the Environment — The Main Gate and Nijubashi
How did artworks inherited by the Imperial Family become a public collection?
In 1989, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Kojun donated a substantial body of art inherited by the Imperial Family to the Japanese nation. The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, was established in November 1993 to conserve, study and exhibit these works. Its collection includes painting, calligraphy, decorative arts and gifts received by members of the Imperial Family.
The museum is located in the East Gardens, connecting the history of the palace to the artistic heritage of the Imperial Household. The museum's official website announces a Grand Opening Special Exhibition beginning November 3, 2026, following its temporary closure for expansion. The museum has separate admission and exhibition arrangements from the East Gardens.
Sources: Museum of the Imperial Collections — Overview / Museum of the Imperial Collections — Official Website
Getting there by taxi or bus
🚕 Taxi
- For the East Gardens, use Ote-mon Gate near Otemachi as the destination. For the Nijubashi viewpoint, use Kokyo Gaien. These are different access points.
🚌 Bus
Other ways to get around
- Otemachi Station serves the Ote-mon side of the East Gardens. Nijubashimae Station is 4 minutes on foot from Kokyo Gaien, while Hibiya Station is 3–4 minutes away according to the Ministry of the Environment. Kudanshita Station is listed as a 5-minute walk to the Kitanomaru area.
Sources: Imperial Household Agency — East Gardens / Ministry of the Environment — Access Map / Museum of the Imperial Collections — Official Website
How to walk it
- Ote-mon Gate Enter through the official East Gardens entrance after baggage screening and examine the castle gateway. 10
- Doshin Bansho Identify the surviving guardhouse and consider how entry into the fortified compound was controlled. 10
- Hyakunin Bansho Study another historic guardhouse within the former defensive complex. 15
- Honmaru and Tenshudai Explore the former central compound and the surviving base of Edo Castle's keep. 25
- Ninomaru Garden Explore the planted landscape within the former Ninomaru compound. 25
- Kokyo Gaien and Nijubashi Continue along authorized public routes outside the East Gardens to view the Stone Bridge, Iron Bridge and Fushimi watchtower. 45
- Chidorigafuchi Greenway Follow the moat-side promenade and look at the cherry trees and historic defensive landscape. 45
All durations are Kyochika estimates, not official walking times. The East Gardens, Nijubashi and Chidorigafuchi are separate areas, so this is an extended walking itinerary rather than a single garden circuit. The estimates include sightseeing time; actual travel may take longer depending on the route and conditions. Use official gate information and maps.
Sources: Imperial Household Agency — East Gardens / Ministry of the Environment — Access Map / Ministry of the Environment — Chidorigafuchi Moat
Best seasons
| Early spring | See the cherry blossoms along Chidorigafuchi Greenway, where approximately 140 cherry trees line the 700-meter route. |
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| Spring | Explore the East Gardens' seasonal planting areas, using the Imperial Household Agency's flower calendar. |
| Summer | Include the Ninomaru Garden and Iris Garden, both identified on the official East Gardens map. |
| Autumn | Consider a walk through the garden landscape and remaining castle fortifications before the earlier seasonal closing time. |
| Winter | Focus on historical architecture and castle remains. The East Gardens operate from 9:00 to 16:00 during November–February, with final entry at 15:30. |
Pair it with
- Kitanomaru Garden Continue exploring the former Edo Castle landscape, including additional historic defensive features. None
- Wadakura Fountain Park Explore another public garden area included in the Ministry of the Environment's Kokyo Gaien visitor information. None
- Museum of the Imperial Collections Explore artworks inherited by the Imperial Family when the museum is open. None
Hidden highlights
- Hyakunin Bansho
- One of the historic guardhouses identified on the Imperial Household Agency's East Gardens map. Its survival helps visitors understand the defensive organization of the former castle.
- Tenshudai
- The surviving base of Edo Castle's keep stands in the former Honmaru. Study the scale of the masonry to appreciate the monumental character of the original castle.
- Matsu no Oroka Corridor Site
- A historically marked location in the former Honmaru, identified on the Imperial Household Agency's official visitor map.
- Fujimi Tamon Defence House
- A surviving defensive building identified by the Imperial Household Agency. Its location helps explain how the castle's architecture functioned within the fortified landscape.
- Ninomaru Garden
- An official feature of the East Gardens, offering a contrasting planted landscape within the former castle compounds.
- Chidorigafuchi Moat
- This natural moat helped make the location suitable for defensive construction. Today approximately 140 cherry trees line the adjacent 700-meter Chidorigafuchi Greenway.
Sources: Imperial Household Agency — East Gardens / Ministry of the Environment — Chidorigafuchi Moat
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FAQ
What are the opening hours of Imperial Palace East Gardens, Kokyo Gaien, Nijubashi and Chidorigafuchi?
East Gardens: March 1–April 14, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); April 15–August 31, 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30); September 1–30, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); October 1–31, 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00); November 1–February 28, 9:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30). These hours apply to the East Gardens, not the entire Kokyo Gaien area.
How much does Imperial Palace East Gardens, Kokyo Gaien, Nijubashi and Chidorigafuchi cost?
East Gardens: free, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
How did the fortress of the Tokugawa shoguns become Japan's Imperial Palace?
The historical identity of the Imperial Palace grounds begins with Edo Castle. In 1457, the samurai Ota Dokan constructed a castle occupying the areas that would become the Honmaru, Ninomaru and Sannomaru compounds. These names remain important today because parts of those compounds survive as the publicly accessible East Gardens. The landscape has changed profoundly, yet its surviving defensive features still reveal its original purpose. The extensive stonework, gates and moats were not decorative additions to a palace garden. They formed part of the structure of a major military and political fortress.
What are some little-known spots in Imperial Palace East Gardens, Kokyo Gaien, Nijubashi and Chidorigafuchi?
Hyakunin Bansho, Tenshudai, Matsu no Oroka Corridor Site, Fujimi Tamon Defence House, Ninomaru Garden, Chidorigafuchi Moat.