Tokyo Imperial Palace, Royal residence in Chiyoda, Japan.

The Imperial Palace occupies the site of Edo Castle in Chiyoda, Tokyo, covering 1.15 square kilometers. Its grounds include the Fukiage Palace, the emperor's residence, the Kyūden main palace for ceremonies, the Imperial Household Agency offices, and the East Gardens, a public park since 1968. The Kyūden, completed in 1968, has a large roof and columns and beams, with most materials of domestic origin.

The site was home to Edo Castle from the 15th century, serving as the power base of the Tokugawa shoguns. The Imperial court moved here from Kyoto in 1869 when the Meiji Restoration returned Imperial rule and Tokyo became the new capital.

On 2 January and on the Emperor's Birthday (23 February), the public enters through the Nakamon gate and gathers in the Kyūden Totei Plaza, where the Imperial Family appears on the Chōwaden balcony and the Emperor gives a short greeting. Since a 1969 pellet-gun incident at the first such appearance, bulletproof glass is assembled on the central balcony for these events.

The East Gardens can be visited free of charge and offer access to the outer grounds, while the rest of the complex requires advance booking with a guided group. Tours run in Japanese and English and require registration several days ahead through the official Imperial Household Agency website.

The Nijubashi Bridge at the main gate forms the most photographed view, though visitors cannot normally cross it and only watch from a viewing platform. The stone foundations of the burned castle keep in the East Garden reveal the enormous scale of the original structures from the 1600s.