Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
176
If you wish, take advantage of a free museum tour offered by volunteers daily 10am
to 3pm (last tour). Most tours last 1 to 2 hours, depending on the level of visitor interest,
and are insightful for their explanations of the Japanese-only displays. However, tours are
necessarily rushed and focus on particular displays; you may wish to tour the museum
afterward on your own.
1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku.
&
03/3626-9974.
www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp. Admission ¥600 adults,
¥480 college students, ¥300 seniors and junior-high/high-school students, free for younger children.
Tues-Sun 9:30am-5:30pm (to 7:30pm Sat). Station: Ryogoku on the JR Sobu Line (west exit, 3 min.) and
Oedo Line (exit A4, 1 min.). Tokyo Shitamachi Bus: Ryogoku Station.
The Imperial Palace (Kyokyo)
The Imperial Palace, home of the Imperial fam-
ily, is the heart and soul of Tokyo. Built on the very spot where Edo Castle used to stand
during the days of the Tokugawa shogunate, it became the Imperial home upon its
completion in 1888 and is now the residence of Emperor Akihito, 125th emperor of
Japan. Destroyed during air raids in 1945, the palace was rebuilt in 1968 using the prin-
ciples of traditional Japanese architecture. But don't expect to get a good look at it; most
of the palace grounds' 114 hectares (282 acres) are off-limits to the public, with the
exception of 2 days a year when the royal family makes an appearance before the throngs:
January 2 and December 23 (the emperor's birthday). Or, you can visit Imperial grounds
on free
guided tours
Monday through Friday at 10am and 1:30pm (1:30pm tour not
available July 21-Aug 31), but you must register at least 1 day in advance (reservations
are accepted up to 1 month in advance) by calling
&
03/3213-1111
and then stopping
by the Imperial Household Agency (located at the Sakashita-mon Gate, on the east side
of the palace grounds) to show your passport number and provide nationality, name, age,
gender, and home address. Easier is to book through the Internet at http://sankan.kuna-
icho.go.jp/English/index.html at least 4 days before the tour. Tours, conducted in Japa-
nese only but with English-language audioguides available, last about 75 minutes and
lead past official buildings, the inner moat and historic fortifications, and Nijubashi
Bridge. I recommend this tour only if you have time to spare and have already seen
Tokyo's other top attractions.
Otherwise, you'll have to console yourself with a camera shot of the palace from the
southeast side of
Nijubashi Bridge,
where the moat and the palace turrets show above
the trees. Most Japanese tourists make brief stops here to pay their respects. The wide
moat, lined with cherry trees, is especially beautiful in the spring. You might even want
to spend an hour strolling the 4.8km (3 miles) around the palace and moat. But the most
important thing to do in the palace's vicinity is visit its
Higashi Gyoen
(East Garden),
where you'll find what's left of the central keep of old Edo Castle, the stone foundation;
see “Parks & Gardens,” later in this chapter.
Hibiya Dori Ave. Station: Nijubashi-mae (1 min.) or Hibiya (5 min.).
Meiji Jingu Shrine
This is Tokyo's most venerable Shinto shrine, opened in
1920 in honor of Emperor and Empress Meiji, who were instrumental in opening Japan
to the outside world more than 120 years ago. Japan's two largest
torii
(the traditional
entry gate of a shrine), built of cypress more than 1,700 years old, give dramatic entrance
to the grounds, once the estate of a daimyo. The shaded pathway is lined with trees,
shrubs, and dense woods. In late May/June, the
Iris Garden
is in spectacular bloom
(admission fee charged). About a 10-minute walk from the first
torii,
the shrine is a fine
example of dignified and refined Shinto architecture. It's made of plain Japanese cypress
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