Tokyo's Kōkyo (皇居), Fortunately the Gate Was Open That Day — A Half Day After Passing Through Baggage Inspection

Exiting Tokyo Station from the Marunouchi side and crossing one traffic light, you immediately reach the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens (皇居外苑). I'd originally planned to walk around…

Tokyo · Kyoto

Exiting Tokyo Station from the Marunouchi side and crossing one traffic light, you immediately reach the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens (皇居外苑). I'd originally planned to walk around the moat and take a photo of Nijubashi before heading home. But as I walked toward the Sakashitamon side, I noticed an unusually large crowd. As it turned out, this was one of those special periods when part of the imperial grounds (宮内) opens to the public. I hadn't timed my visit deliberately—I just happened to arrive on an open day. Despite visiting Tokyo many times, this was my first time inside the compound walls.

Morning at the Outer Gardens, Just Before the Ginkgos Fall

Late November mornings in Tokyo are noticeably less biting than Seoul. A thin puffer jacket is enough, and once the sun comes out, you actually want to take it off. The ginkgo trees lining Uchibori-dori had just passed their peak and were beginning to shed. Yellow leaves scattered across the pavement, and someone pulling a suitcase stopped on the far side of the street to gaze at the trees for a while. They must have come straight from the airport.

A person seen from behind pulling a suitcase, gazing across the street at ginkgo trees turned yellow under a blue sky, with leaves already beginning to carpet the pavement — Across from Uchibori-dori. Ginkgo leaves had already begun to cover the pavement.

Shifting position slightly from the same spot, you can see just how wide the road is. Taxis line up in both lanes, and beyond them the yellow tree-lined avenue continues. It's only about five minutes' walk from Tokyo Station to here, but in those five minutes the scene transforms completely from an office building forest to one fronted by ancient walls.

A wide road with taxis and cars passing, with yellow ginkgo trees continuing beyond them in front of the Kōkyo Outer Gardens — I took this shot because the streetlight design was pretty. The black taxis parked on the right are in the loading zone.

The most straightforward route is to walk straight west from Tokyo Station's Marunouchi Central Exit. By subway, Nijubashimae Station on the Chiyoda Line or Otemachi Station on the Mita Line are closest, and no matter which exit you take, you end up on this spacious walkway. Everyone walking in the same direction meant there was no way to get lost.

People walking toward the yellow ginkgo trees along a wide stone pavement — The walkway from Tokyo Station to Kōkyo. There was steady foot traffic even in the morning.

Entering the gardens proper, you're greeted by the famous black pine (kuromatsutree-lined lawn. From photos it looked like a traditional garden, but standing there in person, the scale is entirely different. The grass has turned brown as winter approaches, and hundreds of pine trees stand in various postures. It was hard to imagine that people maintain each one individually.

Gnarled black pines standing on yellowed winter grass, with Marunouchi high-rises visible in the background, creating an interesting contrast — Black pines on winter grass. The contrast with the glass buildings behind is striking.

The plaza deeper inside is completely bare asphalt. With no shade at all, summer would be rough here. Beyond the trees, a watchtower with white walls and black tile roof is visible. From this angle, you realize there are surprisingly few old structures remaining inside the castle grounds.

A wide asphalt plaza with no shade, pine forest beyond, and a white-walled watchtower with black roof visible in the distance — The inner plaza. The heat must be brutal at midsummer.

Walking Along the Moat—This Section Is Actually the Best

The most underrated feature of Kōkyo is the moat. Everyone takes their photo at Nijubashi and leaves, but the time spent walking along the water's edge stayed with me the most. Walking toward the sunrise and facing into the light, the water turns silver while the castle walls and trees become complete silhouettes. It's one of those sections that photographs beautifully no matter how you expose it.

Morning light against the light, with the moat water gleaming silver and stone walls and trees forming black silhouettes — The backlit section. The Marunouchi buildings peek in slightly at the far left.

Turn around and face the opposite direction, and it's a completely different picture. The water is so still that the entire Marunouchi building cluster is reflected perfectly upside down. A line of ginkgo trees stretches across the water like a yellow ribbon, and fallen leaves drift slowly on the surface. I think this is where Tokyo's past and present most cleanly frame together in a single view.

Marunouchi high-rises and yellow ginkgo trees perfectly reflected in the still moat water — With no wind that morning, the reflection was almost mirror-like.

The outer bank of the moat is lined with willows, so there's continuous shade even in summer. The path is wide enough that joggers and tourists pass without colliding. You could easily spend an hour just walking this route.

People walking along the path by the moat in the shade of willows, with stone walls and water on the right — The path along the outer moat. To the left is government buildings, so office workers mix in during lunch hour.

A wide moat, stone walls on the left, willow branches drooping on the right, government buildings visible beyond — The moat widens here. The building to the right is government offices.

Coming back to the moat side late afternoon, there was a daylight moon in the sky. The castle stone changes color from gray to brown as afternoon sunlight hits it. I recommend walking the same spot twice—once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Wide moat with tall stone walls on both sides, high-rise buildings beyond, and a pale daylight moon faintly visible in the blue sky — Look closely and you'll see the daylight moon caught above the buildings.

On a grassy bank stands a bronze statue of a woman with a nameplate reading 「森の調べ」. She's in a flute-playing pose, and coins are piled thick at her feet. I'm not sure who started it, but everyone seems to follow suit. There's no explanatory sign, so it's easy to walk right past.

A bronze statue of a woman playing a flute with coins piled up at the base, a road and overpass visible beyond — The nameplate reads 「森の調べ」. The coins at the base were left by tourists.

Inside the moat is a wooden arched bridge. It has the old style with bronze fittings on the railings, but directly behind it stands a white modern high-rise apartment, creating an oddly time-blended image. Some might dislike this contrast, but I think it's quintessentially Tokyo.

A wooden arched bridge over the moat, trimmed pines, stone walls, with a white modern high-rise apartment directly behind — Modern high-rise building attached directly behind the wooden bridge.

At Nijubashi—This Is Where Everyone Stops

The black main gate that appears after crossing the stone bridge is firmly closed during normal times. A white fence in front prevents even reaching the middle of the bridge. Bronze lampposts stand on either side of the gate, and a guard is visible inside the gatehouse. This is as far as the general public can normally go.

The firmly closed black wooden gate with white walls and black tile roof, bronze lampposts on either side, white fence blocking entry — The closed main gate. A guard is visible in the gatehouse on the right.

The famous photogenic angle requires moving slightly to the side. The composition shows the Fushimi Yagura watchtower roof peeking over the hill beyond the arched steel bridge, but trees have grown enough that the watchtower appears smaller than expected. It's better to keep your expectations modest.

The watchtower roof visible beyond the arched steel bridge and pine trees on the hill — The watchtower on the hill beyond the bridge. Much of it is hidden by trees.

Fortunate Timing—A Public Opening, Complete With Baggage Inspection

I noticed people continuously flowing in one direction and decided to follow. Blue ropes were set up to direct foot traffic, and security guards in uniforms were dividing visitors into groups. The speed-limit sign still stands on the road—this is normally a thoroughfare for vehicles.

People lined up following blue ropes into the white-walled gate, with a 30 speed-limit sign still standing — The entrance only opens during public periods. Blue ropes direct the flow.

Proceeding deeper, a large gate with a steeply curved roof appears. The road in front is cordoned off with barrier cones and red tape, and police are managing the crowd. This section gets the most congestion, so movement slowed frequently.

A large gate with steeply curved roof, barrier cones and red tape blocking the road, police and visitors gathered — A gate with distinctive roof curvature. The road was under control.

Following the ropes, several white tents stand in front of a stone government building with a green roof. This is where you have to open your bag and show what's inside. Lines are separated by gender, backpacks require full zipper opening to show contents, and a light body check is conducted. At first I was annoyed about photos, but thinking about where we were going, it's a natural procedure. In fact, I was surprised they let us through with just this level of screening. From waiting to passing through took less than 10 minutes, and water bottles were allowed through. I saw a few people stopped for umbrellas or tripods, so it's best to travel light.

White screening tents in front of a stone building with green roof, visitors walking toward them — The white tents in front of the green-roofed building are the baggage screening point.

After clearing screening, a wide path continues ahead. People continuously fill the space before and behind, so solo photography without crowds isn't possible. To get empty-space shots, you'd need to time it for early morning right after opening.

Many people walking in single file along a wide paved path lined with trees beginning to show fall colors — The path continuing after screening. Crowds never stop.

Inside the Compound Walls

A white sign stands at a fork in the path. 宮殿(きゅうでん) / Imperial Palace. No arrows, no explanation—just this single word. Rather than a tourist sign, it has the simple quality of an operational marker.

A white sign reading '宮殿 Imperial Palace' standing by a path with green trees behind — A sign with nothing but this single word. That's all the explanation given.

Following the sign's direction, the green roof of a low, long building appears through the trees. It's modern architecture with deep eaves and thick columns, but the asphalt forecourt is remarkably clean. You can't go further in this direction, so this was the closest view available.

A low palace building with green roof and deep eaves visible through trees, with an empty asphalt plaza in front — The palace building visible through trees. Access only goes this far.

On the opposite side of the path, a white-walled watchtower stands behind red autumn maples. A blue rope strung at the bottom indicates you can't proceed further. The composition of maples, watchtower, and the building behind it in a single frame won't be visible except during these few days.

A bright red maple tree in front of a white-walled watchtower on a stone wall, with a modern building beyond and a blue control rope in the foreground — Maples, watchtower, and building in one frame. The blue rope marks the boundary.

Walking a bit further, a single-story wooden building appears inside a wide rotary. A small sign reading 「蓮池参集所」stood in front. The landscaping of pines was remarkable enough to stop and stare. Rounded juniper shrubs and layered pines frame the steps leading up to the building in perfect symmetry.

A single-story wooden building surrounded by carefully trimmed pine trees and rounded shrubs with broad stone steps in front — The 「蓮池参集所」building. The garden maintenance is exceptional.

The same wooden building viewed from the side with autumn maples and an uphill road to the left — The same building from the side. The uphill path on the left leads to the next section.

Visitors continue flowing past the sign in front of the building. A large weeping willow hangs bright yellow, making this section particularly luminous. The grass on the left has already turned winter brown, so yellow and brown mingle.

Visitors walking past a sign with a large yellow weeping willow drooping overhead — The sign reads 参集所 (Sanshūjo) at the left.

A black wooden gate stands along the path. The sign in front reads 局門(つぼねもん). Metal fittings and tile patterns remain intact on the gate panels, but you get the sense it will never actually open. A "No Entry" sign is attached beside it.

A white sign reading '局門 Tsubone-mon (Gate)' in front of a black wooden gate, with autumn foliage around — Tsubone-mon (局門). Without the sign, you'd just walk past.

A firmly closed ancient wooden gate with tile roof in backlighting, a 'No Entry' sign visible on the right — The same gate shot head-on in backlighting. The small sign on the right indicates no entry.

Beyond the gate, a long building with tightly packed wooden lattice continues. Below are finished stones, above earth walls with wooden lattice. In front of it on the grass sits a large ginkgo tree that has shed nearly all its leaves, completely carpeting the ground in yellow. It crackled underfoot.

A long ancient building with earth walls and wooden lattice windows, its front grass thickly carpeted with yellow ginkgo leaves — The long building with continuous lattice windows. The ground was covered in ginkgo leaves.

Along a massive stone foundation rises a white-plastered building. The gun emplacements remain visible. An elderly couple standing in front looked up at it for a long time, talking, and I found myself doing the same, neck aching.

A long white plaster building with visible gun emplacements atop a high black stone foundation, visitors looking up at it from below — The white plaster building on stone foundation. The height is felt from below.

Autumn color varied from tree to tree. This one had bright orange at the bottom while already turning deep red at the top. The sky was so blue that the colors appeared even more vivid.

Looking up at a maple tree against a blue sky, bright orange at the bottom transitioning to deep red at the top — One tree shows two or three color gradations.

At a bend in the path, a pond appears. Reeds line the water's edge, and the opposite hillside—green, orange, and red mixed together—reflects perfectly in the water. Inside here, city noise is almost entirely absent. Only then did I realize how strange it is to hear no traffic sounds in central Tokyo.

A pond with reeds, the hillside beyond in fall colors of green, orange, and red perfectly reflected in still water — The inner pond. This area was the quietest.

Through gaps in the trees, the moat and stone walls overlap. The water appears a murky ochre as afternoon light hits it, though this isn't actual water quality but rather bottom reflection. You're not allowed to cross the railing.

The moat and stone walls visible through tree trunks and leaves, a black railing in the foreground — The moat seen through trees. The water appears ochre-colored.

The moat's right-angle stone corners seen from shade, with people visible in a line on the opposite bank far away — People line the far bank. That's the next section.

Most striking was where the stone walls meet the white plaster walls. The lower stones are dark and rough, the upper plaster pure white—the line cut as sharp as a knife. A small tile roof tops the plaster wall's end, and the water below barely stirs.

Dark stone foundation topped by a long white plaster wall with a small tile roof structure at the end, overlooking the moat — The boundary of black stone and white plaster. A small gate is visible at the right end.

The highlight of this route was passing through the final gate. Through the gate's arch, the yellow ginkgo tree is framed like a painting. Everyone stops in front to take photos, creating a bottleneck. I was no exception. The 「手洗所」(Toilet) arrow is posted nearby, so this is a good place to handle that.

A large castle gate with the yellow ginkgo tree framed perfectly inside the arch, many people photographing, a toilet sign on the left — The ginkgo tree is perfectly framed by the gate arch. The left shows toilet sign.

Following visitors through the gate with the bright yellow ginkgo beyond glowing through the arch — The line toward the gate. Yellow glow shows beyond the people ahead.

Good to Know Before You Go

Interior path openings are seasonal, not year-round—spring and fall only on specific dates. Dates change yearly, so check the Imperial Household Agency announcement for current dates. I happened to luck into it.
No admission fee. No advance registration either—just line up for baggage screening and enter.
Baggage screening requires opening your bag to show contents. Large backpacks, tripods, and umbrellas take longer. Travel light.
The route is one-way with no backtracking. To revisit a spot, you'd have to exit and make a large detour.
About 10 minutes' walk from Tokyo Station Marunouchi Central Exit. Closest subway: Nijubashimae or Sakuradamon stations.
No shops inside. Bring water, and grab lunch afterward at the Marunouchi Underground Mall shops.
Toilet access is posted near the end. Expect almost none during earlier sections.

If I'd only seen Nijubashi from outside the walls and left, it would have been a day of "saw the castle plaza once." But ten minutes inside after screening changed everything—even the sounds were different. Next time I come to Tokyo, I'll plan to time my visit with the open dates.