Imperial Palace Audio Guide
In the very center of Tokyo lies the Imperial Palace, built on the site of Edo Castle, once the seat of the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan for over 250 years. Today it is the home of the Imperial Family, ringed by wide…
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Welcome to Imperial Palace
Welcome to the Imperial Palace. Just a short walk from Tokyo Station, right beside the towering office buildings of Marunouchi, spreads a vast green forest, ringed by grand stone walls and deep moats. This is the Imperial Palace — home to the Emperor of Japan, and said to be the very ground where the shoguns of the Tokugawa family once ruled from Edo Castle. Walk along the moat, and the mirror-like water reflects the stone walls and pines, as though time itself flowed more slowly here. For the people of Japan, it is the center of the nation and a place of quiet respect. For travelers, the fact that so wide and calm a stretch of green has been preserved in the heart of one of the world's great cities becomes a deep surprise. Into every stone of these walls, every length of these moats, more than four hundred years of history has soaked. Over the next hour or so, let's trace the stories hidden in this place together. Stop wherever catches your eye, and listen at your own pace. Let's begin with the tale of the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle — how a damp, low-lying land was transformed into the seat of a great realm.
What you'll hear on site
- The Story of the Palace ¥500 · 7 days
- Nijubashi Bridge and the Main Gate ¥500 · 7 days
- The East Gardens and the Keep Foundation ¥500 · 7 days
- Secrets of the Moats and Walls ¥500 · 7 days
- Sakuradamon Gate and a Turning Point ¥500 · 7 days
- How to Enjoy the Palace ¥500 · 7 days
Unlock all stops for 7 days — ¥500 / 7 days
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