East Gardens Of The Imperial Palace

A must to do when you’re in Japan Tokyo area. We came here with a little overcast but very warm day. I don’t know about you but where I live, it’s a drought so we don’t have many places like this. I would love to come here for free just to chill. I still appreciate the beauty of a full bloomed garden and with history behind the palace, even better. You will see the most beautiful garden with a moat or river around it. There are park benches to gasp at the beauty of the place trees and flowers.
Even though there is a lot of people that go to this park especially on the weekends, the people that visit really do respect the peace and beauty of the trees and flowers and the birds that visit. It’s best to come here is early March for the cherry blossom blooms but we came here mid April and there were still some cherry blossom trees still in full bloom with their flowers on it.
Totally recommend to come visit this place! I miss this place already!

One of the most beautiful garden I saw in Japan. You have to go this garden on your way to The Imperial Palace, which I think is a must to visit. If you like taking pictures, this is an awesome place, cherry blossoms everywhere and I like how it clearly reflect on the river connecting to the palace. The Palace itself is a good photo opportunity too. I was astonished when I stared at that palace. It’s just unfortunate that you can’t go inside. They said they only open the palace for a certain days of the year.
Wear a comfortable shoes for it will require a lot of walking. Be wary of the pedestrian for cars are too fast. You have to obey the law upon crossing the street. Most of all, enjoy the view.

Tranquil place. The garden is where I saw cherry blossoms. You need to make an appointment to see the inside of the imperial palace but it’s free. :) I didn’t get a chance to do that on this trip. Def a place to check out and put on your to-​do list in Japan. :)

Really beautiful palace. You don’t get to go inside, but there’s plenty of space outside for you to take pictures. Must visit if you’re in Tokyo!

We came here to check out the grounds since we were close and didn’t realize the emperor actually lived there. We found that out when all of a sudden the police opened the gates while we were walking close to there and all these black cars, suv’s, police motorcyclist and then the black car with little flags on it came rolling out.
The place is huge. The house on top by the wall is very pretty. The water fountains before you get to the property is also an architectural dream. The lawn is very well maintained and I would not want to pay that water bill. The bridge was pretty as well. At 5 o’clock though if you try to get near the bridge the cops do not like that too much. They’re very strict on time codes.
The statues are very pretty and old. The entire place is old. It’s free to get there and walk around. Its a big place to walk around so have your tennis shoes.

This is a lovely place to visit, just to relax and soak in the tranquility when the weather is not too hot, as there is no shade and consists of large areas out in the open.
Nothing remains of the main buildings except the moats, walls, entrance gates and several guardhouses. Edo Castle was burnt down and what remains is the base of the former castle tower. From here you can view the large lawn stretching down below. To the right of it is the bamboo garden, which is quite interesting to see the different types of bamboo. To the left is the colourful Concert Hall built to celebrate the Empress’s 60^th birthday, an octagon shape building with the surrounding city skycrapers from the business and commercial centre, overpowering it
You cannot enter the gardens from the Palace but you can enter via three other gates instead. We got the Metro to Otemachi Station and entered via Otemon Gate, where you pick up a «token» from the ticket office which you have to return when you leave. From here on the right is the small Museum of the Imperial Collections plus some guardhouses.

We went on a very hot day so it was hard to fully appreciate, but the garden, which is near the Imperial Palace, is quite tranquil and serene. By the way, you can get close to the Imperial Palace but can’t actually go inside the palace or the grounds due to security concerns. The East Garden has a variety of trails, ponds, and beautiful trees. On a nice day you could stroll for an hour or more; on a hot day we were there only about 30 minutes so we saw only a small portion. Nonetheless, this is certainly a worthwhile activity to put on your to-​do list in Tokyo. The admission is free, but you have to turn in your token on the way out so they make sure no one is hiding on the grounds.

Can’t sleep due to some serious jet lag and sleeping almost the entire day yesterday, so I figured it time to throw out some reviews!
I came here during my first visit to Japan, and I returned during my second? Why? It’s truly a location within the bowels of human history and any Japanese history buff owes to themselves to pay this location a visit. Plus, it’s beautiful to boot and can be gorgeous on any day of the week. Rain or shine.
There are a lot of exposed areas, so it can get warm without proper shade or equipment, but otherwise you’ll be fine if you come on a cloudy day. Edo castle is a worth making the journey here alone.

Admission is free, so that’s a plus! But if you’re low on time, I’d skip the East Gardens — it’s pretty boring and especially unbearable on a hot day because it’s so large and requires a lot of walking without too much shade.
The East Gardens actually includes a wide variety of sites — there are gardens, Edo castle remains, a small bamboo section, etc. It’s pretty easy to walk the entirety in a few hours. The gardens has some seating — when we went there were many old folks just chillin’. If you walk up the fort looking thing, there’s a great view of the East Gardens with the city as a backdrop — pretty cool! There is also a Central Park Sheep Meadow-​esque grassy area where you can take a nap and sunbathe (with your clothes on). This area is right across from the grassy area is the remains of an Edo castle — pretty cool in theory, but it’s not that impressive in practice (just a platform sort of thing). If you keep walking around the grassy area, there’s other sites like the bamboo garden.
Overall, pretty meh experience. Might be worth it if you come when it’s a little cooler.

While we were in Japan, we were able to visit both the Imperial Palace itself + the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. What an incredible experience!
You need to make an appointment far in advance for the Imperial Palace tour — a tour of the inner grounds, where the royal family entertains and hosts guests and ceremonial festivities. The East Gardens is open to the public — anyone can visit at any time of the year. Check the Imperial Palace website for more details!
View the blog for more photos:

Open to the public only certain days of the week, this part of the Imperial Palace is worth going to, even if you get the days mixed up and have to come back another time. I’ve only been here in the winter, when the grass is brown/​golden and little is in bloom, but it’s still a really wonderful place. Admission is free, though you do need to take a token from the visitor booth and return it when you leave. There is a museum on site which I haven’t checked out yet, as well as some historical buildings, gardens, ponds, and a botanical garden of trees representing each of the prefectures of Japan. My favorite area is the pond gardens. It is so peaceful and relaxing to just sit and look out over them. This is a good spot right in the heart of Tokyo to see birds, since a lot of the modern neighborhoods don’t have enough trees or plants to attract any wildlife.
The sign out in front of the public entrance to the East Gardens includes English so I could tell which days I should be visiting. I highly recommend you stop here when things get busy and you need a bit of peace and quiet in Tokyo.

You can easily spend a few hours walking around these gardens if you like to stop and take pictures. Lots of photo opportunities with the gardens, flowers, koi ponds, tea houses and other small buildings.

I loved this place in the Fall! There were lots of foliage to enjoy and it’s a beautiful place to stroll along and even enjoy a picnic in peace. Japan is a really busy country and especially in Tokyo, it’s very hectic and loud. This place reminds you that you can escape that for awhile and be one with nature.
This park is pretty big so walking through it will take awhile, we didn’t mind it though, since we weren’t in a rush to go anywhere else. After this stroll, we went and got ramen, it was just that perfect.

I had some time to kill while my friend was at work. So I ventured to the East Gardens per her recommendation. I didn’t realize how large it was! There is a variety of plant life. Each section was unique. It’s a change of pace and scenery from all the hustle and bustle of the big corporations nearby.
If I had more time, I would spend the day here.

It’s really amazing to see so much of Japan’s history preserved and documented.
The Imperial East Garden is a great example. It is huge and well maintained for a public park. It does get incredibly hot during the summer time and I wish they could build more benches or add trees to give visitors relief from the cruel sun.
This place is great for people to relax or exercise.

One word of advice. Skip the Tokyo Imperial Palace. It’s a waste of time. Instead, stroll through the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. It is much larger, more beautiful, and it’s free!
This place has all sorts of Japanese trees and plants and has a nice scenery/​landscape. Make sure you bring a camera and take lots of photos. There are many benches to sit on too if you get tired.

Der Kaiserpalast — Kokyo — ist die Residenz des japanischen Kaisers — Teno -.
Das Gebäude befindet sich im Zentrum von Tokio im Bezirk Chiyoda auf dem Gelände der ehemaligen Burg Edo. Diese Burg war Anfang des 17. Jahrhunderts bis zum Jahr 1869 die Residenz von Shogunen.
Als der japanische Kaiser 1869 seinen Sitz von Kyoto nach Tokio verlegte, wurde die Burg Edo zum Sitz des Kaisers. Gleichzeitig bekam eben diese Stadt Edo ihren heutigen Namen Tokio.
Im Jahr 1873 kam es zu einem verherenden Brand, bei dem das Hauptgebäude der Burg fast vollständig zerstört wurde. Die kaiserliche Familie musste daher bis zum Wiederaufbau des Palastes im Jahre 1888 ihren Hof in die kaiserliche Residenz Akasake verlegen. Während des 2. Weltkriegs wurde der Palast durch die Bombardierungen der Alliierten abermals zerstört und im Jahre 1968 in moderneren Stil erneut aufgebaut.
Da der Kaiserpalast in Tokio ganzjährig von der kaiserlichen Familie bewohnt wird, ist normalerweise nur ein sehr kleiner Teil des Areals, der Ostteil des Geländes, für Besucher zugängig. Ausnahmen bilden der Geburtstag des Kaisers am 23. Dezember und das japanische Neujahrsfest am 2. Januar, wo weitere Teile des Geländes für die Öffentlichkeit zugängig werden.
Fazit: Ein lohnender Besuch, auch wenn der Besucher entsprechend der Jahreszeit manchmal nicht viel zu sehen bekommt von dem Palast oder der Anlage, wie Bruggräben usw.. Der Garten ist eine Augenweide, alles sehr gut gepflegt. Geführte Rundgänge, die ich ja nicht sehr mag, waren wirklich sehr aufschlussreich ! Der Besuch ist kostenlos, Eintritt wird nicht erhoben.

I’ve seen a lot of folks run around the outside of the gardens where it is hustling and bustling with people, buildings, and cars everywhere, but once you walk into the gates of the garden, you’re immediately brought back into a more historical era.
Once you walk in, you’ll need to get a token before entering. Admission is free, but the token is for the location to keep count of the visitors. It’s a great place to take a walk as the grounds are pretty large. I was visiting Tokyo with my friends early March and we were just a week early to see the cherry blossoms at full bloom. We were able to catch a few trees though.
There were a lot of couples sitting on the grass and admiring the surroundings. I guess this is a popular place to take someone on a date. But on the other side of the spectrum, there were also a lot of tourists who were walking around as well. If you hike all the way in and make it to where the castle used to sit, you’ll get an awesome view of the modern downtown Tokyo just outside of the garden gates.