Imperial Palace East Gardens
皇居東御苑
Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-06 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
The Imperial Palace East Gardens lie within the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, on the site of Edo Castle, and were first used by the Tokugawa shogunate. The Ōte-mon was the castle's main gate, used by the feudal lords who came to stay under the shogunate's system of alternate attendance. The areas of the garden keep the names of the castle's rings of defence: the honmaru, the inner circle; the ninomaru, the second; and the sannomaru, the third. The Suwa-no-chaya, a tea house, dates from 1912.
Takebashi Station on the Tōzai Line is about 500 m away in a straight line. We have not checked opening days or hours, so check before you go.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Kokyo Higashigyoen Tenbodai 190928f — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kokyo Higashigyoen Tenbodai 190928e — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kokyo Higashigyoen Tenbodai 190928d — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kokyo Higashigyoen Tenbodai 190928c — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kokyo Higashigyoen Tenbodai 190928b — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kokyo Higashigyoen Tenbodai 190928a — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kokyo0097 — Fg2 · Public domain · source · resized
- Kokyo0092 — Fg2 · Public domain · source · resized
- Hyaku-nin-bansho 191009a — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
The Imperial Palace East Gardens (皇居東御苑, Kōkyo Higashi Gyoen) is a historical garden in the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The gardens were first used by the Tokugawa shogunate. There is a bridge which leads to Sakashita-mon gate nearby is the Imperial Household Agency building and Tokyo Imperial Palace (or "kyuden") The garden was built on the grounds of Edo Castle. The Ōte-mon Gate functioned as the main gate of Edo Castle. It was used by the feudal lords who came to stay in the castle under the alternating attendance system of the Tokugawa shogunate, and as such it was a very important gate. All the gardens areas were used as defence. They are translated as "inner circle of defense" (honmaru), "second circle of defense" (ninomaru), and "third circle of defense" (sannomaru). Suwa-no-cha-ya was built by Emperor Meiji in 1912 and is a tea house.
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-06 · Imperial Household Agency: East Gardens
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Park & garden
Nearby station
Nearby station: Takebashi (Tōzai Line), about 500 m from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Traveler reviews
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