The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is the residence of the Tennō. The building itself is not open to the public, and you can’t usually walk past it either. But there are (of course) several gardens on the palace grounds that you can visit. Thecomplex is located are in Marunouchi, and the contrast between the hypermodern skyscrapers is mind-blowing as was the case at the main train station.
Inui Street at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
I was initially confused when I arrived at the main entrance because it was closed. But the confusion quickly cleared up. Because on this day, Inui Street was open because it was already cherry blossom season. On this path in the park, you actually pass the palace. And you could admire all sorts of unusual cherry varieties – if the weather had played along. But unfortunately, it was unusually cold and wet, and so only a few early bloomers were active.
The palace itself is a sober, not particularly beautiful building. I actually had wanted to visit the palace in Kyoto but missed it. Next time then!
I wandered through the garden with the other visitors, who were all excitedly admiring every little flower, which took about half an hour. Nice, but not particularly exciting…
In the Eastern Gardens
The Eastern Gardens were just a stone’s throw away and more exciting. In addition to a few ramparts of the old Edo Castle, a restored watchtower (not accessible), and a few other fortifications, there was a beautiful, very spacious complex there. Not quite as chic as the Kenroku-en or the Shinjuku-Gyoen, for example, but still very nice. More of a park than a garden, with lots of families and children playing. There is also a museum there, but once again we didn’t have enough time for that.
All in all, a nice, relaxed trip in beautiful, if very cold, weather! It didn’t cost anything and I got to see more than the usual tourists.