Quick Reference
Verified statistics, dimensions, and key data points about the Imperial Palace Tokyo. All figures sourced from the Imperial Household Agency and official records.
| Official name | Kōkyo (皇居) — "Imperial Palace" |
| Address | 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-8111, Japan |
| Founded | 1457 (as Edo Castle, by Ōta Dōkan) |
| Became Imperial Palace | 1868 (Meiji Restoration) |
| Current Emperor | Emperor Naruhito (ascended May 2019) |
| Total grounds area | ~3.41 km² (approximately 341 hectares) |
| East Garden area | ~210,000 m² (former Honmaru and Ninomaru compounds) |
| Moats surrounding the palace | 12 moats, totalling several kilometres in length |
| Trees on grounds | Approximately 300,000 trees from 47 prefectures |
| Current palace building (Kyuden) | Completed 1968; designed by architect Shōzō Uchii |
| East Garden open since | 1968 |
| East Garden admission | Free — no ticket required |
| East Garden open days | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday |
| East Garden closed | Monday, Friday, Dec 28–Jan 3, Imperial Court event days |
| East Garden hours (summer) | 9:00–18:00 (April 15 to August 31) |
| East Garden hours (winter) | 9:00–16:00 (November to February) |
| Official guided tour | Free; twice daily (Tue–Sat); advance registration required |
| Official tour duration | Approximately 75 minutes; 2.2 km walking route |
| Official tour capacity | 200 per session (online booking); 300 per session (walk-in) |
| Official tour languages | Japanese (English audio guide and printed materials available) |
| Tenshukaku Donjon | Original keep completed 1638; burned 1657 in Meireki Fire; stone base survives |
| Surviving original keeps | 3: Fujimi-yagura (1659), Fushimi-yagura, and Tatsumi-yagura |
| Surviving Edo guardhouses | 3: Doshin-bansho, Hyakunin-bansho, and Ōban-sho |
| Tokagakudo Concert Hall | Built 1966 for Empress Kojun's 60th birthday |
| Sannomaru Shozokan museum | Closed for renovation as of 2026; expected to reopen autumn 2026 |
| Nearest station | Nijubashi-mae (Chiyoda Line, Exit 6) — 10 min walk |
| Distance from Tokyo Station | 15 minutes on foot (Marunouchi Central Exit) |
| Guided tours available | 13+ third-party tours from $16 per person |
| Most reviewed tour | 1-Day Tokyo Bus Tour — 15,957+ verified reviews |
| Highest-rated dedicated tour | Imperial Palace & Shogun Historical Walking Tour — 4.9★ (2,922 reviews) |
| 1457 | Ōta Dōkan constructs Edo Castle on a strategic hilltop above the Edo estuary |
| 1590 | Toyotomi Hideyoshi assigns Tokugawa Ieyasu to Edo; Ieyasu begins transforming the castle into Japan's most powerful fortress |
| 1603 | Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Shogun; Edo Castle becomes the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate |
| 1638 | Tenshukaku (main keep) completed under Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu — five tiers, the tallest structure in Japan |
| 1657 | Meireki Fire destroys the Tenshukaku and much of Edo; approximately 100,000 deaths; keep never rebuilt |
| 1868 | Meiji Restoration ends Tokugawa rule; Emperor Meiji moves from Kyoto to Edo (renamed Tokyo); Edo Castle becomes the Imperial Palace |
| 1888 | First purpose-built Meiji Palace completed on the castle grounds |
| 1889 | Emperor Meiji promulgates the Meiji Constitution from the palace |
| 1945 | Allied air raids destroy the Meiji Palace (May 1945); Emperor Hirohito broadcasts Japan's surrender from the grounds (August 15, 1945) |
| 1968 | Current Kyuden (palace building) completed; East Gardens opened to the public |
| 1989 | Emperor Akihito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne |
| 2019 | Emperor Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne (May 1, 2019); new imperial era "Reiwa" begins |
Book an expert-guided Imperial Palace tour — from $16 per person, free cancellation.
See All Tours →