Edo Castle Ruins Today: The Imperial Palace East Gardens, Public Tour & Inui Street
This hub guide covers the Imperial Palace East Gardens in five areas, from Otemon Gate to the Tenshudai Keep Base, and also includes the Imperial Palace public tour and the special Inui Street public opening, both of which allow access to areas normally closed to the public. It is designed for first-time visitors and serious history lovers alike.
Edo Castle was a vast castle complex expanded on a massive scale after Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo, especially during the eras of the second shogun, Hidetada, and the third shogun, Iemitsu. After the establishment of the Edo shogunate in 1603, it served as the residence of the Tokugawa shoguns and the center of shogunal government. After the Meiji Restoration, the site became the Imperial Palace, and the eastern areas corresponding to the former Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru have been open to the public since 1968 as the Imperial Palace East Gardens.
The main keep burned down in the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 and was never rebuilt. Even so, many original Edo-period remains still convey the structure of the castle, including the stone base of the keep, Otemon Gate, Fujimi-yagura Turret, Hyakunin-bansho Guardhouse, and the Matsu-no-Oroka Corridor Site.
This guide introduces the Imperial Palace East Gardens in five areas and also brings together information on the Imperial Palace public tour and the Inui Street public opening, which let visitors walk through normally restricted parts of the Imperial Palace. First-time visitors should use it together with the full map.
Essential Information Before You Visit
| Admission | Free; no advance reservation required |
|---|---|
| Closed Days | Mondays and Fridays; December 28 to January 3; and days affected by official events. The gardens are open on national holidays other than the Emperor's Birthday, and if Monday is a holiday and the gardens are open, they are closed on Tuesday. |
| Opening Hours | March 1 to April 14: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., entry until 4:30 p.m. / April 15 to the end of August: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., entry until 5:30 p.m. / September: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., entry until 4:30 p.m. / October: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., entry until 4:00 p.m. / November to February: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., entry until 3:30 p.m. |
| Suggested Time | All five areas: 2 to 3 hours / Honmaru Area only: about 1 hour |
| Entrances | Otemon Gate, Hirakawa Gate, and Kitahanebashi-mon Gate |
| Nearest Stations | For Otemon Gate: about 5 minutes on foot from Exit C13a of Otemachi Station (M18/T09/C11/Z08), about 10 minutes from Exit 6 of Nijubashimae Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, and about 15 minutes from the Marunouchi North Exit of JR Tokyo Station. |
| From Tokyo Station | About 15 minutes on foot from the Marunouchi North Exit (JR lines including Shinkansen). The most convenient gateway for visitors arriving from Kyoto, Osaka, or other Shinkansen cities. |
Three Ways to Experience Edo Castle
| Experience | When | Reservation | Time Needed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Gardens Self-guided / Free |
Tue – Sun Year-round |
Not needed | 1 – 3 hours | Gates, turrets, Tenshudai, gardens — the main castle remains |
| Imperial Palace Public Tour Guided / Free / ID required |
Tue – Sat (closed Sundays, Mondays, most national holidays, and New Year holidays) Year-round |
Advance online booking or same-day walk-in (Kikyo-mon Gate, 300 tickets, 9:00 a.m. / 12:30 p.m.) |
~75 min | Normally closed areas: Nijubashi, Fushimi Yagura, East Court |
| Inui Street Self-guided / Free |
Spring & Autumn only | Not needed | 30 – 60 min | Cherry blossoms / autumn foliage along a rarely opened inner route |
Imperial Palace East Gardens Section
7 Highlights: A Self-Guided 90-Minute Tour of Edo Castle's Best Remains
Not sure where to start, or only have an hour or two? This route picks the 7 most historically significant structures — original Edo-period gates, the only surviving three-story watchtower, and the stone platform where Japan's greatest castle keep once stood — and connects them in a single walking loop. Each stop comes with context on what you're actually looking at and why it matters.
Start the Self-Guided Tour →Want more depth? The full area-by-area guide continues below
Full Guide: All 5 Areas, 35 Spots — With Complete Historical Background
For repeat visitors, serious history enthusiasts, or anyone who wants to go beyond the highlights. The sections below cover every part of the East Gardens in detail, plus the Imperial Palace Public Tour and the seasonal Inui Street opening.
Imperial Palace East Gardens | Guide to the 5 Areas
The Imperial Palace East Gardens are spacious, so this guide divides them into five areas based on their character and location. Review the features of each area before planning your walking route.
Otemon Gate Area
The castle's formal front entrance — masugata layout, guardhouses, and a museum under renovation
Otemon Gate
This is the first area you pass through when entering Edo Castle from Otemon Gate, the castle's formal front gate. It was a dignified space used by daimyo and shogunal retainers on their way to the castle. The masugata defensive layout, formed by the Koraimon gate and the reconstructed Ote-watari-yagura Gate, gives a clear sense of the strict security system of the time. The long Hyakunin-bansho Guardhouse is another major highlight. The Museum of the Imperial Collections is currently temporarily closed for construction of its new facility. Full reopening is scheduled for autumn 2026. Admission, booking rules, and opening dates may change after reopening, so please check the official museum website before visiting.
Fujimi-yagura Turret Area
The only surviving three-story turret, and the site of the incident behind the Forty-seven Ronin
Fujimi-yagura Turret
This central area is home to Fujimi-yagura, the only surviving three-story turret of Edo Castle. After Edo Castle's main keep burned down, it served as an important historic building from which the shogun is said to have viewed Mount Fuji. The Matsu-no-Oroka Corridor Site is also essential for history lovers, as it was the scene of the 1701 sword attack that led to the story of the Forty-seven Ronin.
Honmaru Area
The core of Edo Castle — the Tenshudai Keep Base, climbable and commanding the widest views
Stone Walls of the Tenshudai Keep Base
This was the core of Edo Castle, where the Tokugawa shoguns conducted affairs of government. The broad Honmaru Site is now an open lawn, with ground markings that help convey the scale of the former Ooku women's quarters and Omote Palace. The stone walls of the Tenshudai Keep Base still survive, and visitors can climb to the top. From there, you can look widely across the castle grounds, making it one of the best places to grasp the scale of Edo Castle.
Ninomaru Area
Stroll garden, Hirakawa Gate, and a historically rich inner passageway
Ninomaru Garden
This area is known for the calm atmosphere of Ninomaru Garden, as well as Hirakawa Gate and Hirakawa Bridge. Ninomaru Garden recreates the spirit of an Edo-period stroll garden and offers seasonal plantings throughout the year. Hirakawa Gate was also known as Otsubone-mon because it served as a service gate for women attendants connected with the Honmaru Ooku, and it was also called the Impure Gate because it was used when the dead or criminals were taken out of the castle. It is a historically rich gate for understanding movement inside Edo Castle.
Outer Grounds
Gates, moats, shrines — many accessible without entering the East Gardens
Chidorigafuchi
This area follows gates, moats, and shrines scattered around the outer perimeter of the Imperial Palace East Gardens. Sakuradamon Gate is known as the site of the 1860 Sakuradamon Incident, the assassination of Ii Naosuke, chief minister of the Tokugawa shogunate. Chidorigafuchi is also famous as one of Tokyo's great cherry-blossom spots. Many sites in the Outer Grounds can be visited without entering the East Gardens, making the area easy to explore even when time is limited.
Full Map | Check the Relationship Between the 5 Areas
The map below shows how the five areas relate to one another. The Otemon Gate Area, Fujimi-yagura Turret Area, and Honmaru Area can be visited in sequence. The Ninomaru Area and Outer Grounds are somewhat farther apart, so it is best to plan your route in advance.
Access
Imperial Palace East Gardens Access Information
| Address | 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo |
|---|---|
| From Tokyo Station | About 15 minutes on foot from the Marunouchi North Exit (JR lines including Shinkansen). The most convenient gateway for visitors arriving from Kyoto, Osaka, or other Shinkansen cities. |
| Nearest Stations | About 5 minutes on foot from Exit C13a of Otemachi Station (M18/T09/C11/Z08, Tokyo Metro lines) / About 5 minutes from Takebashi Station (T08, Tozai Line) / About 10 minutes from Exit 6 of Nijubashimae Station (C10, Chiyoda Line) |
| Entrances | Otemon Gate, main entrance; Hirakawa Gate; and Kitahanebashi-mon Gate |
| Opening Hours | Hours vary by season. March 1 to April 14 and September: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; April 15 to the end of August: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; October: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; November to February: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entry is until 30 minutes before closing in all seasons. |
| Closed Days | Mondays and Fridays; December 28 to January 3; and days affected by official events. The gardens are open on national holidays other than the Emperor's Birthday, and if Monday is a holiday and the gardens are open, they are closed on Tuesday. |
| Admission | Free. Visitors receive an admission token on entry. |
| Notes | The gardens may close temporarily for Imperial Household events and ceremonies. Please check the official Imperial Household Agency website for the latest information. |
Imperial Palace Public Tour & Inui Street Tour Section
When visiting the Imperial Palace East Gardens, consider adding these two special public-access experiences, which let you walk through parts of the Imperial Palace normally closed to the public. They offer different angles on Edo Castle's remains, moats, and surviving buildings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Imperial Palace East Gardens occupy the former Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru areas of Edo Castle. They have been open to the public since 1968 and can be visited free of charge.
Admission is free. According to the Imperial Household Agency, no admission fee or advance reservation is required. The three entrances are Otemon Gate, Hirakawa Gate, and Kitahanebashi-mon Gate. Opening hours and temporary closures may change, so please check the official website before visiting.
In principle, the gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays. If a national holiday falls on a closed day, the following weekday may be closed. Temporary closures may also occur for Imperial Household events and ceremonies, so it is best to check the official Imperial Household Agency website before visiting.
If you walk slowly through all five areas, allow about 2 to 3 hours. If your time is limited, focusing on the route from Otemon Gate to the Honmaru Area lets you see the main highlights in about 1 to 1.5 hours.
The main keep itself burned down in the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 and no longer exists. However, the stone base of the keep remains in the Honmaru Area, and visitors can climb to the top. A reconstructed model of Edo Castle's main keep can also be seen in the Honmaru Site area.
The Matsu-no-Oroka Corridor Site is in the Fujimi-yagura Turret Area. It is known as the place where Asano Takumi-no-kami attacked Kira Kozuke-no-suke in 1701. Today, a marker and explanatory sign identify the site.
No. Sakuradamon Gate and Chidorigafuchi are outside the Imperial Palace East Gardens. This guide introduces them separately as part of the Outer Grounds, and they can be visited without entering the East Gardens.
There are no restaurants inside the gardens. Use cafés and restaurants outside Otemon Gate or around the Takebashi and Otemachi areas. Vending machines for drinks are available inside the gardens.
Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo in 1590 after being transferred to the Kanto region by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. From then on, he developed and expanded Edo Castle. After becoming shogun in 1603 and founding the Edo shogunate, Edo Castle became the center of shogunal government and underwent major construction projects.
Yes. Tokyo is connected to Kyoto and Osaka by the Tokaido Shinkansen, with journey times of approximately 2 hours 15 minutes from Kyoto and about 2 hours 30 minutes from Osaka (Shin-Osaka) by Nozomi. JR Tokyo Station is about 15 minutes on foot from Otemon Gate. Because the East Gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays, check the schedule before travelling. For most visitors, the Imperial Palace East Gardens work best as part of a full day in central Tokyo rather than a stand-alone day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.
Tokugawa Ieyasu Related Page
The Edo Castle Ruins are part of our series on places connected with Tokugawa Ieyasu. For Ieyasu's life and other related sites, see the page below as well.
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