The Imperial Palace East Gardens

The Imperial Palace East Gardens (皇居東御苑, Kōkyo Higashi Gyoen) are a part of the inner palace area and are open to the public. Surrounded by skyscrapers of central Tokyo, this place is like an oasis where one can relax and watch tnature’s beauty. I visited the Imperial East Gardens in late April when many flowers were in bloom, and maybe it was the most beautiful time of a year. The East Gardens are spacious; it’s quite a long walk. But, there are many places to sit down and rest. Most of all, I liked the area of the traditional Japanese Garden. The visit can take about two or three hours if you want to enjoy its full extent.

The Otemon entrance to the East Gardens is a short walk from Otemachi Station on the Chiyoda, Tozai, Marunouchi or Hanzomon and Mita Subway Lines. It can also be reached within a 10-15 minute walk from Tokyo Station.