The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is the residence of Japanese emperor and is called Koukyo. It's located in Chiyoda-ku, the center of Tokyo. There was once the Edo Castle in the 17th-19th century, and Tokugawa Shoguns resided the castle. After the Meiji Restoration, Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo from Kyoto. The Imperical Palace is surrounded by moats, and some of the original gates and stone walls remain in the grounds.
Tokyo Imperial Palace Photo Gallery
The inner palace ground is closed to the public except January 2 and the Emperor's birthday (December 23). There are guided walking tours of the inner palace ground on weekdays except on special occasions. The tours are usually conducted at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. A tour takes about 75 minutes. English audio tour guides are available. To join the tour, you need to apply for approval from the Imperial Household Agency in advance. Application Guide
There are lots of interesting places to visit in the Imperial grounds.
It's open to the public except on Mondays, Fridays, and special occasions. Admissions is free of charge.
Access: JR Tokyo Station / Subway Ootemachi Station or Takebashi Station
It's a water fountain park located in the outer garden.
Access: Subway Ootemachi Station or Nijubashi Station
