Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Imperial Palace
ߖډ
, Kōkyo • Entrance off Uchibori-dōri • Access by off
cial tour only; apply online • Mon-Fri 10am & 1.30pm; 75min • Free •
T
03 3213
1111,
W
sankan.kunaicho.go.jp • Sakuradamon station
Huge and windswept, the Imperial Plaza forms a protective island in front of the
modern
Imperial Palace
. In earlier times the shogunate's most trusted followers were
allowed to build their mansions here, but after 1899 these were razed to make way for
today's austere expanse of spruce lawns and manicured pine trees. The present palace is
a long, sleek, 1960s structure, built to replace the Meiji palace burnt down in the 1945
bombing raids. The imperial
residences
themselves, built in the early 1990s, are tucked
away out of sight in the thickly wooded western section of the grounds.
Except for the two days a year when Nijūbashi is open to the general public (see
p.42), admission to the palace grounds is only on pre-arranged
o
cial tours
, conducted
in Japanese but with English-language brochures and audioguides available. They are a
bit of a hassle to get on, but there is a certain fascination in taking a peek inside this
1
Kudanshita
Kudanshita
THE IMPERIAL PALACE
AND AROUND
Shōwa-kan
Yūshūkan
Tayasu-mon
0
200
Yasukuni-jinja
metres
Budōkan
BAR
Kudan Kaikan
1
Kitanomaru-kōen
CAFÉ
Sanbancho Cafe
Science
Museum
1
N
Takebashi
Crafts
Gallery
National Museum
of Modern Art
Hirakawa-mon
Imperial
Music Hall
Kitahanebashi-mon
Shiomizaka
UK
Honmaru
Museum
Ōtemachi
Ōte-mon
Higashi Gyoen
Hanzōmon
Imperial
Household
Agency
Ōtemachi
Fujimi-yagura
Shin-
Marunouchi
Building
IMPERIAL PALACE
Marunouchi
Building
National
Theatre
IMPERIAL PLAZA
Nijūbashimae
Nijūbashi
4
Mitsubishi
Ichigokan
Museum
Meiji
Seimei-kan
MARUNOUCHI
Nagatachō
Idemitsu
Museum
of Arts
Tokyo
International
Forum
Sakuradamon
Hibiya
National Diet
Building
Yūrakuchō
Station
Yūrakuchō
