Imperial Palace East Imperial Garden

The Imperial Palace East Gardens (Kokyo Higashi Gyoen) are a 210,000㎡ garden attached to the Imperial Palace, located on the former Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru of Edo Castle. Since 1968, it has been opened to the public except on certain days that would interfere with Imperial events. It is popular both as a sightseeing spot and as a place of relaxation for Tokyo residents, and in 2018 the cumulative number of visitors reached 30 million. The gardens are divided into three distinctive areas. The largest Honmaru area has a broad lawn at the base of the former castle keep foundation, surrounded by unique green spaces such as bamboo groves and tea fields; notable structures include the uniquely shaped Tokagakudo (designed like a clematis flower petal) and the approximately 16m-tall Fujimi Yagura. The Ninomaru area features a Japanese garden and coppice woodland for enjoying more delicate greenery. The Sannomaru area includes the Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan), which exhibits art passed down within the Imperial Household. Access is about a 5-minute walk from Otemachi Station (Tokyo Metro lines), about a 10-minute walk from Nijubashimae Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line), or about a 15-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station.