As the name suggests, East Garden sits on the eastern bound of the present Tokyo Imperial Palace - the official residence of Japanese Emperor and Empress.

Occupying 210,000 square meters in Chiyoda, East Gardens of Imperial Palace is open to public daily except Monday and Friday. Free access pass can be obtained via Ote-Mon or Ote Gate (nearest to Otemachi subway Station) prior to entry.

If one happens to visit during spring, East Gardens offers a good spot to catch the sight of blooming Sakura or cherry blossom. Over 30 species of cherry trees live here. Besides cherry blossom, plenty of other plants uch as bamboo, peony, willow also made this place their residence.

Several historic structures are also found on the ground of East Gardens.

Danshin bansho Guardhouse - The remain of samurai guardhouse to to watch and inspect every entry of Ote-Mon.

Hyakunin-bansho Guardhouse - The largest guardhouse, placed after Ote-Mon prior to Honmoru (inner citadel) and Ninomaru (second citadel). It used to house 100 chosen samurai guardsmen and served as a quarter to work on shift of day and night.

Stonewalls of Honmaru-Nakanomon Gate - Boasting the architecture of the former Edo Castle, they are designated as a national cultural asset. Over the years, deformation occurred and some stonewalls had been restored which displayed a lighter shade compares to the original stonewalls which had experienced burning during Tokyo raid.

Moats - Visible from Honmaru-Nakanomon Gate until Shiomi-zaka Slope. Acts as separators between inner citadel and second citadel.

Tenshudai Donjon Base - The first Tenshukaku donjon of Edo Castle completed in 1638 during the 3rd Shogun Iemitsu. Standing 58 meters, it was a five-storied building with 6 levels contained within the castle. As the tallest donjon or castle tower ever built in Japan, it symbolized the reign of Tokugawa Shogunate. Burned down in 1657 and had never been reconstructed since then. The base remains with evidence of darken crevices between the stones. Take a stroll to the tallest spot of this remain, it offers a fabulous lawn scape of East Gardens contrasting the skyscrapers of Tokyo.



Ishimuro Stone Cellar - An area of 20 square meters, it was located behind the rear room of royal palace. Claimed to have been used as an emergency storage area despite rumor said it was an underground passage.
The East Gardens are quiet and not congested with visitors. Indeed a comforting oasis amidst the bustling Tokyo. Charmed by the beauty of this place, we stayed longer than a couple of hours as we formerly planned.