Hidden JapanBetaEarly access — we're polishing Hidden Japan every week.
HomeExploreEventsSign in
Sign in
Trips
Explore
Ask
Events
My Japan
Hidden Japan

A discovery engine for the rural villages, sacred mountains, and authentic experiences that define the real Japan.

Discover

  • Destinations
  • Live events
  • Travel guides

Plan

  • Travel Buddy
  • Itineraries
  • Saved
  • My Japan

About

  • Our mission
  • Pricing
  • Contact
Privacy PolicyTerms of UseCookiesAffiliate Disclosure

Some links are affiliate links — Hidden Japan may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

© 2026 Hidden Japan

  1. Home
  2. Explore
  3. Kanto
  4. Imperial Palace East Gardens
Back to explore
Imperial Palace East Gardens

Don Ramey Logan / CC BY-SA 4.0

Imperial Palace East Gardens

皇居東御苑

Tokyo · Kanto

The East Gardens occupy the former inner citadel of Edo Castle, and are the only part of the Imperial Palace grounds open to the public without a booking. The path climbs from the Ote-mon gate past the guardhouse and the vast stone base of the vanished donjon, which can be walked up for a view over the lawns to the Marunouchi towers. Moats, cyclopean walls and a reconstructed guard tower survive from the shogunate; an iris garden and a small bamboo grove sit in the lower ninomaru.

Why we picked it

People photograph the Nijubashi bridge from outside the moat and leave, not realising the castle's keep foundation is open, free, and a five-minute walk from Tokyo Station.

Crowd level
Popular
Rating
4.4· 10,184 reviews
Opening hours
Mon Closed Tue–Thu 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri Closed Sat–Sun 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.

Admission
Free. A numbered entry token is issued at the gate and returned on the way out.
Nearest station
Otemachi Sta. · 21 min walk
Website
kunaicho.go.jp/event/higashigyoen/higashigyoen.html

Today

9:00–18:00Tue closedSun closedFree

Stored weekly hours

Mon Closed Tue–Thu 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Fri Closed Sat–Sun 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

How to get there

From Tokyo Station · ~7 min by car

Tags

gardencastlehistoryfree

Location

More in Kanto

Continue exploring

Koenji

Koenji

Tokyo

Omiya Bonsai Village

Omiya Bonsai Village

Saitama

Tsumagoi Cabbage Fields

Tsumagoi Cabbage Fields

Gunma

Odaiba Marine Park

Odaiba Marine Park

Tokyo

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo

Isumi Railway Rural Stations

Isumi Railway Rural Stations

Chiba

Hakone Yuryo Onsen

Hakone Yuryo Onsen

Kanagawa

Kagurazaka District

Kagurazaka District

Tokyo

Your turn

Plan a trip like this — free

Built from 2,650+ verified hidden places — real routes, ferries, and events matched to your dates. Yours takes about a minute.

No credit card, plan your first trip now!