The Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Honshu, Japan | Palace

This homepage presents an introduction to the official duties and various public activities of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, and other members of the Imperial Family, carried out both at The Imperial Palace and outside, the latter including their official visits within Japan and their fostering of friendly relations with foreign countries.
We hope that this homepage will provide a useful reference for a large number of people who may wish to deepen their knowledge about the activities and traditions of the Imperial Family.
The Imperial Palace East Gardens (Kokyo Higashi Gyoen) are a part of the inner palace area and are open to the public, except on Mondays, Fridays and some special occasions. Admissions is free of charge.
The East Gardens are the former site of Edo Castle's innermost circles of defense, the honmaru ("main circle") and ninomaru ("secondary circle"). None of the main buildings remain today, but the moats, walls, entrance gates and several guardhouses still exist.
Edo Castle was the residence of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867. Emperor Meiji also resided there from 1868 to 1888 before moving to the newly constructed Imperial Palace.