Located in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, the Imperial Palace serves as the residence and office of the Emperor of Japan, and is also where the imperial family lives their daily life. The present-day Imperial Palace sits on the site of the former Edo Castle. Although smaller in scale than the original residence of the Tokugawa shogunate, it still preserves many historical relics and green spaces.
Japan has traditionally not had a fixed capital city. Instead, the location of the Emperor's residence was considered the nation's capital, and the palace there was referred to as the “Imperial Palace.” This system continued for several centuries until 794, when Emperor Kanmu moved the court to Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto), which then became the political and cultural center of Japan for over a thousand years. Despite political upheavals such as the Northern and Southern Courts period, the Emperor remained in Kyoto, with the Kyoto Imperial Palace as the official residence.
In the Meiji era, with the transformation of the political system, Emperor Meiji first visited Tokyo (formerly Edo) in 1868. The following year, the Imperial Household and central government were officially relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo. Edo Castle was renamed the Imperial Castle and became the site of the current Imperial Palace. Since then, successive emperors have used it as their residence and workplace.
While parts of the palace grounds are reserved exclusively for the Imperial Family and not open to the public, areas like the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace are regularly open for public visits. The East Gardens, once the main compound of Edo Castle, have been renovated into a freely accessible garden space. Additionally, on the Emperor’s birthday and January 2 (the day after New Year), parts of the Imperial Palace are opened to the public for celebratory events.
The Imperial Palace is situated in central Tokyo, near Tokyo Station, and holds a key geographical position. However, to preserve its historical and security significance, neither subways nor expressways pass through the palace grounds—they are instead built around its perimeter.
