Imperial Palace visit guidance（English）

This three storied keep, reconstructed in 1659, was watch tower, and is one of the oldest remnants of Edo Castle. The rampart is about 15 meters in height and the keep itself is some 16 meters high.

This building is the head office of the Imperial Household and was constructed in 1935. The third floor of the building was used as the temporary Imperial Palace for some years after World War II until the new Imperial Palace was built.

Fujimi-tamon (defense house) on top of the rampart is a type of donjon built for both defense and decorative purposes. It was also used as a repository and armory. At the foot of the high stone wall, there is a moat called the "Hasuikebori(lotus moat)" where in summer lotus flowers bloom in profusion.

This plaza is located in front of Chowaden Hall of the Imperial Palace. On the occasion of New Year's Day and the Emperor's Birthday, the Emperor and Empress and Members of the Imperial family stand on a balcony temporarily installed outside the corridor of Chowaden Hall and receive the greetings of the people gathered in the plaza, to whom the Emperor delivers an address.

The Imperial Palace completed in 1968 is a ferro-concrete structure and consists of 7 buildings, including Seiden State Function Hall, Homeiden State Banquet Hall, Chowaden Reception Hall and the Emperor's daily office.

Seimon-tetsubashi Bridge is commonly called "Nijubashi" and is loved by peoples. And it is said that Fushimi-yagura Keep was moved here from Fushimi-castle in Kyoto during the reign of the third Shogun lemitsu early 17th century.

The main donjon of the Edo Castle was completed in 1607. At that time the rampart was about 14 meters high and on top of it the main donjon rose the greatest castle towers in Japan but it was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1657. Since then it has never been reconstructed and only the stone wall that formed its foundation remains today, which is about 10 meters high now.
At the time of the construction of the new Imperial Palace building, Honmaru and Ninomaru areas were rearranged to make a garden. This garden is named "The East Garden of the Imperial Palace", and is now open to the public.

The Tokagakudo building is a concert hall and was constructed in 1966 in honor of the auspicious occasion of the 60th Birthday of Empress Kojun (deceased in 2000), who was a great lover of classical music. The roof is in the shape of a flower worked in colourful ceramic tiles.

Music Department (Gakubu) is in charge of the preservation and performance of the Gagaku (ancient court dance and music classed as an Important National Cultural Property) as well as the performance of western-style music when a State Banquet is held at the Imperial Palace.
The Archives and Mausolea Department (Shoryobu) is in charge of administration for preserving important and official documents and books concerning the Imperial House and also the surveillance and maintenance of Mausolea and tombs of the Imperial Family located in various places in Japan.

Gagaku in Japan is the most ancient, classical music perfected generally in the middle of the Heian era (around 10th century). Gagaku Performance is held for the general public every autumn.

Ninomaru Garden consist of the strolling garden to which the original garden sited inside the Edo castle was restored, and the Ninomaru grove which reminds us of Musashino grove located on the outskirts of Tokyo.