Imperial Palace - East Garden - Hommaru

Hommaru is the main building of the castle.
The castle tower was built in 1606 but burnt down in 1657 due to a big fire in Edo city. It has not been built again after that. Only stone wall base remains.

There used to be Hommaru building on the lawn area including Ooku which is Shogun's harem.

Original Fujimi Yagura burnt down but it's rebuilt in 1659 and still remains.
This is much smaller than castle tower, however, it helps to imagine how castle tower looks like.

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<The Nearest Station>

Otemachi station on Mita Line (I09/Toei Subway) /
Chiyoda Line / Tozai Line (C11/T09/Tokyo Metro)

Gate open
Mar. 1   through Apr. 14  9:00 - 16:30
Apr. 15 through Aug. 31  9:00 - 17:00
Sep. 1  through Oct. 31   9:00 - 16:30
Nov. 1  through Feb. 28   9:00 - 16:00

Closed on Mondays and Fridays, Dec. 28 through Jan. 3

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Imperial Palace - East Garden - Ninomaru

Ninomaru is the lower area in East Park of Imperial Palace.
It has traditional Japanese garden with a pond.

There are many trees and flowers here.
A tea ceremony house was rebuilt in Meiji Era.

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<The Nearest Station>

Otemachi station on Mita Line (I09/Toei Subway) /
Chiyoda Line / Tozai Line (C11/T09/Tokyo Metro)

Gate open
Mar. 1   through Apr. 14  9:00 - 16:30
Apr. 15 through Aug. 31  9:00 - 17:00
Sep. 1  through Oct. 31   9:00 - 16:30
Nov. 1  through Feb. 28   9:00 - 16:00

Closed on Mondays and Fridays, Dec. 28 through Jan. 3

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Imperial Palace - East Garden - Sannomaru

Sannomaru is an area near Otemon gate.

Sannnomaru Shuzokan is a small museum which exhibits arts, letters and crafts owned by imperial family.

Three guardhouses remain in Sannomaru area.
The largest guardhouse keeps 100 guards all the time to check people who came to the castle.

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<The Nearest Station>

Otemachi station on Mita Line (I09/Toei Subway) /
Chiyoda Line / Tozai Line (C11/T09/Tokyo Metro)

Gate open
Mar. 1   through Apr. 14  9:00 - 16:30
Apr. 15 through Aug. 31  9:00 - 17:00
Sep. 1  through Oct. 31   9:00 - 16:30
Nov. 1  through Feb. 28   9:00 - 16:00

Closed on Mondays and Fridays, Dec. 28 through Jan. 3

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Imperial Palace - East Garden - Otemon Gate

Otemon Gate was the main gate of Edo Castle.
Original gate was built in 1607.

You'll get to Sannomaru Area in Edo Castle.
Only major feudal loads were assigned as guards here.

Current gate was rebuilt in 1968 after it burnt down in 1945 by bombing.

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<The Nearest Station>

Otemachi station on Mita Line (I09/Toei Subway) /
Chiyoda Line / Tozai Line (C11/T09/Tokyo Metro)

Gate open
Mar. 1   through Apr. 14  9:00 - 16:30
Apr. 15 through Aug. 31  9:00 - 17:00
Sep. 1  through Oct. 31   9:00 - 16:30
Nov. 1  through Feb. 28   9:00 - 16:00

Closed on Mondays and Fridays, Dec. 28 through Jan. 3

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Masakado Zuka

The head of Masakado Taira is deified at Masakado Zuka in Otemachi, surrounded by office buildings.

Masakado Taira was killed at the civil war in 940 as an enemy of the emperor.
His head was cut off and exposed on the street in Kyoto and his head flew to his home town on the 3rd day.

Masakado is considered the origin of Samurai since he introduced horses in the war and made them create Japanese sword.

Whenever somebody tried to remove this, something bad happened.
So this monument is kept this place as is.

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<The Nearest Station>

Otemachi station on Mita Line (I09/Toei Subway) /
Ciyoda Line, Tozai Line, Marunouchi Line and Hanzomon Line
(C11/T09/M16/Z08/Tokyo Metro)

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Imperial Palace - Higashi Gyoen

Higashi Gyoen in Imperial Palace is eastern part of the palace and open to public for free.
Three gates are available. Ote-mon gate, Hirakawa-mon gate and Kita Hanebashi-mon gate.

Higashi Gyoen consists of Honmaru (main enclosure), Ninomaru (2nd enclosure) and Sannomaru (3rd enclosure) of the castle.
Ote-mon gate is a main entrance which is near Tokyo station.
You'll get into the 3rd enclosure of the castle from Ote-mon gate.

Stop by an exhibition room near Ote-mon gate.
There're old guard houses, too.

You may hear striking sounds and shouting loudly from the other side of the hedge.
Don't worry. It's just a Kendo (Sword fighting) training hall.

2nd enclosure has a Japanese garden with a pond and a waterfall.
Wild forest is maintained as is, too. It's interesting to compare well trimmed Japanese garden to wild nature.

Main enclosure is on the high side of the park.
There's a stone mound ruin of castle tower.

Wide open space is in front of it. There used to be main buildings on this wide open lawn.
All buildings including castle tower suffered fire in early Edo era.
Castle tower hasn't been rebuilt after the fire.

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<The Nearest Station>

Otemachi station on Mita Line (I09/Toei Subway) / Tozai Line (T09/Tokyo Metro) etc.
JR Tokyo station to Ote-mon gate

Takebashi station on Tozai Line (T09/Tokyo Metro) to Hirakawa-mon gate

<Admission>

Free of Charge
9:00-17:00 (-16:00 in Nov. through Feb / -16:30 in Mar, Apr, Sep & Oct)
Closed on Mondays and Fridays

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Edo castle has many episodes.
There's a monument to show where Matsu no Roka was.
Mastu no Roka is a hallway with pictures of pine trees on the wall in the main building of Edo castle. Famous incident known as Chushingura drama happened here.

Also famous O-oku was here, too. It's a kind of Shogun's harem.
O-oku was the area with only females. There were more than 1000 women working in this area.
Only male who was allowed to get in here was Shogun.