The Imperial Palace, located at the heart of Tokyo, is an iconic landmark and a go-to for all the tour groups that explore Tokyo. Here are my thoughts on the palace and the surrounding area.
Background
The Imperial Grounds are roughly .44 square miles in total area, including the gardens and palace itself. The Imperial Palace is the home of the Emperor and the Imperial family, dating back to 1868 when the royal family moved from Kyoto to Edo (which is Tokyo’s original name).
How to get there
The Imperial Palace is located in Chiyoda, central Tokyo, making it fairly easy to get to through various subway lines. Tokyo Station is within easy walking distance of the palace, roughly 15 minutes away, making it easily accessible via trains from anywhere in Tokyo.
Tickets
The Palace grounds are free to explore, including the East Gardens. Guided tours are also free, but they are first-come, so take note of that if you want to join one of the tours.
Exploring
The area is quite large and spacious when you approach the Imperial Palace with the path around the Palace used as a major running trail. The path up to the Stone Bridge is quite wide and that’s a good thing with so many tourist groups that visit the Palace. You’ll see plenty of them, just look for the flags or the colored ID badges they all wear.
Overall there isn’t a lot to do, just to see and take pictures. The Palace is only open twice a year to the public so outside of the limited tours, there isn’t a lot to do at the Palace, but the surrounding area has places to see.
Surrounding area
The area surrounding the Imperial Palace is full of business buildings and shops, making it a little bit more quiet compared to other wards like Shibuya or Shinjuku (it gets very quiet at night). There are plenty of places to visit so make sure to add the Tokyo International Forum to your visit list as the conference center has some incredible architecture and great photo opportunities.
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