In walking distance of Tokyo’s busiest transportation hub Tokyo Station stands the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor and his family reside. It is a popular place to visit for tourists as it is also the former site of Edo Castle, but for security reasons, most of the grounds are not open to the public, making sightseeing limited to walking around the outskirts of the grounds to see the castle walls, bridges and gates that lead to the grounds, visiting the East Gardens where the remains of the main buildings of Edo Castle stand, or joining a guided tour of the Imperial Palace. The guided tour is special in that it takes you up close and around the private Imperial Palace; it is in English and is free of charge, so if you’re looking for a one of a kind experience of the Imperial Palace, this tour may be it!
The guided tour starts at the Kikyo-mon gate, an 8 minute walk from Otemachi Station on the Marunouchi Line/Chiyoda Line/Hanzomon Line. After checking in and walking through the gate, you go through security to enter the Visitor’s House where an English speaking guide introduces the history of Edo Castle and how it became the site of the Imperial Palace. Once all the participants have gathered (maximum capacity is 500 people!), they are separated into the language of their preference; there is an option of Japanese, English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean (available languages may vary on the day). Each guide has a mic and speaker but doesn’t reach too far, so if you’re eager to hear the guide’s explanations during the tour, standing in or near the front of the group is recommended.
The highlight of the tour is being able to see the Imperial Palace up close. It is where the Emperor and his family reside, as well as where the Emperor works on his official duties. You may recognize the Plaza next to the Palace if you live in Japan; that is where the Imperial Family’s greetings for New Years (held every January 2nd) and the Emperor’s birthday takes place and is seen on TV.
Other stops on the tour include the Imperial Household Agency Building, where the staff who supports the Imperial Family works, crossing one of the two bridges that connect the outer grounds and the Palace grounds the Nijubashi Bridge, and seeing the two remaining Yaguras (Japanese towers that were built as a lookout tower).
The tour is held twice a day, from 10 am and 1:30 pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays (there are days the tour does not take place, so please check the website before your visit). You can choose from reserving your spot in advance online (200 people capacity; 50 people max per group) or line up for day of tickets (300 people capacity), where you will need to get there early to get tickets and go back again for the tour. Photo ID to enter the site is needed (they don’t ask for it every time so you may end up not showing it), with no need in selecting the language of the tour beforehand. There are lockers available (100 yen is needed but it comes back on return) so you can enjoy the tour light handed!
<Guided tour of the Imperial Palace>
https://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/about/koukyo.html
<Author>
Saori Futsukaichi
Staff writer of WaWo Japan Travel