Tokyo · Central Tokyo
Imperial Palace East Gardens
The East Gardens were built on parts of the main compound (Honmaru), the second compound (Ninomaru) and the third compound (Sannomaru) of Edo Castle, and opened to the public in 1968. Three gates serve as entrance and exit: Ote-mon, Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon. Ote-mon, opposite Otemachi Station, is the most commonly used.
The main keep of the castle burned down in the Great Fire of the Meireki era in 1657 and was never rebuilt. What remains is its stone foundation, Tenshudai, which in its time carried the tallest keep in Japan. From the foundation there is an open view of the Marunouchi towers beyond the moat. Ninomaru Garden, at the bottom of the gardens, was restored in the style of Edo-period gardens, next to an iris garden and a slope of plum trees.
Entry is free, but the gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays and in the New Year period, from 28 December to 3 January. A national holiday that falls on a Monday or Friday opens the gardens that day, except the Emperor's Birthday, 23 February, when they are always closed. When the gardens open on a Monday because of a holiday, they close on the Tuesday instead.
Good to know
- Entering through Ote-mon Gate and leaving through Kitahanebashi-mon Gate (the northern one) turns the visit into a straight line rather than a round trip back to the same gate.
- Imperial court events sometimes close the gardens without advance notice. A short check on the Imperial Household Agency website before you set out saves a disappointment.
- The Imperial Collections Museum (Sannomaru Shozokan), by Ote-mon Gate, opens in full on 3 November 2026. The opening exhibition, until 24 January 2027, costs ¥2,500, with a timed advance ticket only and no sales at the door. Open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Imperial Palace East Gardens.
- HereImperial Palace East Gardens
- ~6 min
OOTEMORI, Otemachi Tower Food
Floors B1 and B2 of Otemachi Tower, connected directly to Otemachi Station: Pronto cafe, Costa Coffee, and a patisserie by Aman Tokyo.
- ~6 min
Otemachi Forest More to see
A real urban forest on the ground floor of Otemachi Tower, about a third of the site area: 208 plant species, 129 insect species and 13 bird species. Open access and free.
- ~8 min
Starbucks Kokyo Gaien Wadakura Fountain Park Food
A cafe inside a free public garden with a large fountain, near the southern part of the palace moat. 07:00 to 21:00.
- ~15 min
Nanko Rest House Food
An eatery near the statue of Kusunoki Masashige in the outer garden of the palace, with a lunch menu and Edo food menus. Lunch 11:00 to 14:00, cafe 14:00 to 16:00.
- ~15 min
Kusunoki Masashige Statue and Nijubashi Bridge More to see
A bronze statue of the warrior Kusunoki Masashige, completed in 1900 with a donation from the Sumitomo family, in the plaza from which you see Nijubashi and the Fushimi turret. Free.