Colorful photo of tree blossoms

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Kyoto Imperial Palace Park

Imperial Palace & Around


The Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho) and Sentō Imperial Palace (Sentō Gosho) are surrounded by the spacious Kyoto Imperial Palace Park, which is planted with a huge variety of flowering trees and open fields. It's perfect for picnics, strolls and just about any sport you can think of. Take some time to visit the pond at the park's southern end, which contains gorgeous carp. The park is most beautiful in the plum- and cherry-blossom seasons (late February and late March, respectively).

The plum arbour is located about midway along the park on the west side. There are several large shidareze-zakura ('weeping' cherry trees) at the north end of the park, making it a great cherry-blossom destination. The park is between Teramachi-dōri and Karasuma-dōri (to the east and west) and Imadegawa-dōri and Marutamachi-dōri (to the north and south).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Imperial Palace & Around attractions

1. Kyoto Imperial Palace

0.15 MILES

The Kyoto Imperial Palace, known as the Gosho in Japanese, is a walled complex that sits in the middle of the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park. While no longer…

2. Sentō Imperial Palace

0.19 MILES

The Sentō Gosho is the second imperial property located within the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (the other one is the Imperial Palace itself). The…

3. Kyoto State Guest House

0.3 MILES

Built in 2005 to welcome foreign dignitaries, the Kyoto State Guest House is not a must-see sight, unless you have a real interest in architecture…

4. Raku Museum

0.52 MILES

Hidden in a residential area in the Nishijin district, this fine museum is dedicated to the art of Raku pottery, a technique involving hand building and…

5. Nishijin Textile Center

0.73 MILES

In the heart of the Nishijin textile district, this is worth a peek before starting a walk around the area. There are displays of completed fabrics and…

6. Kyoto International Manga Museum

0.76 MILES

Located in an old elementary school building, this museum is the perfect introduction to the art of manga (Japanese comics). It has 300,000 manga in its…

7. Kyoto City Hall

0.8 MILES

Built in 1927, this imposing building takes up one block on the corner of Kawaramachi-dōri and Oike-dōri.

8. Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto

0.85 MILES

This one-room museum is filled with unexpected wonders in a wide variety of kaleidoscopes. Not sure who will enjoy this more, children or the adults…