A Quick Stop at the Japanese Imperial Palace East Garden

The three years i spent working in Japan involved mostly in travelling. Though almost everyday we travel from our okiba (storage house) to different jobsites in Tokyo, I can barely enjoy the pleasure of travelling since my situation as an undocumented illegal alien requires me to be extra careful and avoid being sighted by officers in uniform and other civilian-clothed nyuukan agents.


One fine day after my second visit to the Japanese Regional Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa, Tokyo for the processing my travel documents, i decided to take my chance to explore places that before, i'm just contented viewing from the window of our service vans and trucks. Now im free to go wherever i want without any fear of being caught or apprehended since i was already issued a travel certificate by the Bureau of Immigration.

I was scheduled to report at the Immigration Office before 8 a.m. so i finished my interview early and had the whole day for my self since i asked a one-day leave from work. From Shinagawa Yamanote Line Station, i boarded the train and got off at Tokyo Station. I still dont have definite place to go but Tokyo Station is in the heart of Metropolitan Tokyo so i am sure theres a lot of interesting places to go.

I decided to just walk around, find my way and take pictures.


I then saw this area map and i found my self in the vicinity of Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace so i decided to see the Imperial Palace first.



I am near the Otemon Entrance so i decided to cross the traffic congested Hibiya Dori (Hibiya St.) and then this park with well maintained lawn beautifully lined with semi bonzaid pine trees met my eyes. I cant help noticing people sleeping under the trees. I wonder if they are allowed to stay and sleep there since it is a park. Later i learned that it is a Center for the Homeless and they allow people to stay and sleep there as long as the cleanliness of the area is maintained.

The Imperial Palace with its grounds is located on the site of former residential palace of the successive Tokugawa Shoguns in the Edo Period. Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Emperor Meiji moved here from Kyoto which had been the imperial capital for more than a thousand years.

The main Imperial Palace gardens and buildings are off limits to public and only opens on January 2 and December 23 (Emperor's Birthday) where the Imperial Family makes a public appearance but the Imperial Palace East Gardens is open to public daily except on Mondays and Friday.
The Imperial Palace East Gardens (Kyoko Higashi Gyoen) are part of the inner palace and are former site of Edo Castle's innermost circles of defense. None of the main bulidings remain today, but moats, walls, entrance gates and several guardhouses still exist.

It is tuesday and the East Gardens is open to the public. Tourists (mostly Koreans and Chinese) flock the area. As usual, my handy camera is in my hands ready to take photos and hoping that the battery and memory card will last until evening.

From Kyoko Gaien, the large plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, i can view the Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The stone bridge in front is called Meganibashi (Eyeglass Bridge) for its looks.


The bridge in the back was formerly a wooden bridge with two levels, from which the name Nijubashi (Double Bridge) is derived.

I am alone so i just contented my self from taking photos and other tourists since i am shy enough to ask for someone to take my pictures.


This Meganibashi Bridge is the Main Entrance to the Inner Palace and is resticted to the public. Tourists stopped to pose and take pictures.

Even guards are not spared from the flashes of cameras.

After several minutes of walking and taking pictures, i finally found a good place to put my camera and select the self timer mode and pose in front of the palace moat, walls and tower.



It was already almost 12 noon and i decided to end the tour even though i was still not able to visit the other sights. I also cancelled the plan of going to the nearby Hibiya Park.

I am hoping i still have enough time to eat my lunch and get to my next destination... GINZA.