People who are interested to visit this place have to go for guided tours organized by the Imperial Household Agency. Prior permission from the agency's office is compulsory. Those who have the permit from this organization can reserve the tour over Internet also.
The tourists can visit the Imperial Palace Tokyo usually on week days. It is quite easy to reach the palace since it is located in proximity to the Kyoto Station of Tokyo from where one can reach the place within 10 minutes.
While talking about this Tokyo palace, its history also deserves a mention. During the 2nd World War, this palace was completely destroyed due to bombing. However, in the year 1968, it was reconstructed in the previous style.
The Tokyo trip gets completed only after a visit to the alluring site of Imperial Palace.
Imperial Palace East Gardens, also known as Kokyo Higashi Gyoen, is a large green open space located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It spreads over a vast area of 210, 000 square meters covering three compounds of Edo castle namely Honmaru, Ninomaru and Sannomaru. Tokugawa Shogun, the ruler of Japan, used to stay at this Edo castle during the period between 1603 and 1867. Before shifting to the imperial palace, Emperor Meiji also resided here.
Honmaru is the main part of the castle where the rulers spent their day-to-day life and carried out the country's administration. Honmaru area comprises a vast lawn while the Ninomaru comprises the Japanese garden of the Edo period. Ninomaru is the area outside Honmaru, where the ruler and the feudal chiefs held their meetings.
In the year 1657, the whole castle was burnt down and was never restored. On this site,the beautiful Japanese style east gardens of the Imperial Palace have been laid which is often crowded with visitors and tourists. Although the building has been completely destroyed, the walls, the entrance gates, fortifications and many guardhouses still survive.
The Imperial Palace East Gardens entrance is at a walking distance from the Otemachi station. This station falls on the Chiyoda Subway as well as the other lines like Mita, Hanzomon, Marunouchi and Tozai. The Tokyo station is also close by and takes around 5-10 minutes to reach east garden entrance from here.
Imperial Palace East Gardens remains open from 9 am to 4 pm everyday except for Mondays and Fridays. However, if there is any national holiday on Monday and Friday, the east garden is made available to the public. Between 25th December and 3rd January every year, the garden is closed to the public because of imperial functions held at this venue during this time.
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