Palace sights in Tokyo
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Higashi-Gyōen (Imperial Palace East Garden)
Higashi-gyōen is the only corner of the Imperial Palace proper that is regularly open to the public, and it makes for a pleasant retreat from the grinding hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Here you can get up-close-and-personal views of the massive stones used to build the castle walls, and even climb the ruins of one of the keeps, off the upper lawn. Although entry is free, the number of visitors at any one time is limited, so it never feels crowded. Entry here is through one of three gates: Ōte-mon on the east side and Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon on the north side. Most people enter through Ōte-mon, which is situated closest to Tokyo Station, and was the principal en…
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Kyōkyo (Imperial Palace)
The Imperial Palace is the permanent residence of Japan's emperor and imperial family. Given the recent birth of future emperor Prince Hisahito, the frequent nervous breakdowns of Princess Masako and the debate regarding Princess Aiko's right of ascension, new stories surrounding the imperial family are splashed across the Japanese tabloids on a daily basis.
Of course, unlike their royal counterparts in the UK, life in the Imperial Palace is rigidly controlled by a secretive organisation known as the Imperial Household Agency, which keeps any potential scandals under wraps.
Completed in 1968, the palace itself is a somewhat staid, contemporary reconstruction of the Meiji …
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Hama Rikyū Onshi-Teien (Detached Palace Garden)
Once a shōgunal palace extending into the area now occupied by the fish market, this traditional Japanese garden is one of Tokyo's finest. The Detached Palace Garden features a large duck pond with an island that's home to a charming tea pavilion, as well as some wonderfully manicured trees (black pine, Japanese apricot, hydrangeas, camellias etc), some of which are hundreds of years old.
Besides visiting the park as a side trip from Ginza or Tsukiji, consider arriving by boat from Asakusa via the Sumida-gawa cruise aboard the Suijō Bus.
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