Tokyo Station Marunouchi Imperial Palace Course

Starting from the red-brick Tokyo Station, this refined course winds through the polished business district of Marunouchi and the greenery of the Imperial Palace outer gardens and East Gardens. It suits those who love architecture and history or simply want a calm atmosphere. The route stays almost entirely within walking distance, features many spots you can enjoy for free, and takes about four hours.

Course Route

10:00 Start at the Marunouchi Side of Tokyo Station Step out on the Marunouchi side of JR Tokyo Station and admire the grand exterior of the restored red-brick building. View the beautiful dome ceilings at the north and south exits, and photograph the whole facade from the station plaza.

10:30 Stroll Marunouchi Nakadori Walk this stylish tree-lined avenue, a few minutes from the station toward the palace, and enjoy the refined streetscape and public art. On weekends or during certain periods it becomes a pedestrian zone.

11:30 Head to the KITTE Rooftop Garden Just outside the Marunouchi South Exit, the KITTE Garden on the sixth floor is a free rooftop terrace. Set in a complex that reuses the historic former Tokyo Central Post Office, it looks down on the red-brick station and the trains coming and going. It generally opens around 11:00.

12:00 Lunch in Marunouchi Take a relaxed lunch at one of the quality restaurants typical of this business district. The area around the station offers plenty of choices, including dining floors inside the station and the high-rise towers.

13:30 Head to the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens About ten minutes on foot from KITTE. Enter through Wadakura Gate and take in the wide lawns and rows of black pine. Strolling here is free.

14:00 See Nijubashi Bridge Photograph the iconic Nijubashi, where the bridge reflected in the moat and the Fushimi turret behind it make a beautiful scene, a few minutes from the outer gardens.

14:30 Walk the East Gardens Enter free of charge through the Ote or Hirakawa gates into the gardens of the former Edo Castle. The old keep base and the Honmaru lawn are highlights. They are closed on Mondays and Fridays, so visit if open; if not, switch to a perimeter walk near Kikyomon Gate.

15:00 Rest at Wadakura Fountain Park Pause in this park surrounded by water and greenery to round off the day, then walk back to Tokyo Station in a few minutes.

Highlights

• The red-brick architecture of the restored Tokyo Station
• The view of the station and its trains from the KITTE Garden
• The polished streetscape of Marunouchi Nakadori
• The vast lawns and black pine rows of the palace outer gardens
• The classic Japanese scene of Nijubashi and its moat

Access and Tips

• Starting from the Marunouchi exit of Tokyo Station, a JR and Metro hub, makes the loop easy
• All spots are within walking distance and train rides are barely needed
• Wear easy-walking clothes for the spacious outer gardens and East Gardens
• The East Gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays, so check opening days before you go
• The KITTE Garden may close in bad weather, so keep an eye on conditions

Practical Travel Notes

• Total time is roughly four hours, a light course you can do at ease in half a day.
• Best season and start time: early summer greenery, autumn color, or a clear day when the black pines stand out are ideal. A start around 10:00 connects lunch and the afternoon palace neatly.
• Avoiding crowds: weekdays are calm, but since the East Gardens close on Mondays and Fridays, choosing the right day matters.
• Budget sense: the station exterior, KITTE Garden, outer gardens, and East Gardens are all free, so the main costs are meals and transport, keeping the day very affordable.
• Rainy-day and stamina options: on a wet day, focus on indoor KITTE, the station dining floors, and nearby museums. If tired, rest at Wadakura Fountain Park or a Nakadori cafe along the way.

A Quick Tip

The appeal of this course is a sense of openness you would not expect in the heart of the city, and most of it is free. Walk slowly and feel the contrast where polished business towers meet palace nature. In the evening, the illuminated station building is a sight to see. If you want to be sure to enjoy the East Gardens, plan around the Monday and Friday closures.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• What this course assumes: it takes about 5 hours including lunch, and everything is within walking distance, so no train transfers are needed.
• KITTE Garden (the rooftop garden on the 6th floor of KITTE Marunouchi): open 11:00-23:00 on weekdays and 11:00-22:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free of charge. It covers about 1,500 square metres and looks down on the Marunouchi station building of JR Tokyo Station. It may be closed depending on the weather.
• KITTE Marunouchi: 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. It is directly connected to Tokyo Station on the JR lines and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, so you can walk there from the station without getting wet on rainy days. You can also look out at the Marunouchi station building from the former Tokyo Central Post Office director's room on the 4th floor (admission free of charge, open 11:00-20:00 every day).
• East Gardens of the Imperial Palace: admission is free of charge and no advance reservation is required. Closed on Mondays and Fridays and from 28 December to 3 January. However, the gardens do open on national holidays, in which case they close the following day instead. There are 3 entrance gates: Otemon, Hirakawamon and Kitahanebashimon.
• Opening hours of the East Gardens (by season): 1 March to 14 April, 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30); 15 April to the end of August, 9:00-18:00 (last entry 17:30); September, 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30); October, 9:00-16:30 (last entry 16:00); 1 November to the end of February, 9:00-16:00 (last entry 15:30).
• A note on timing: from November to February the East Gardens close at 16:00 with last entry at 15:30, so if you follow the model course and head there at 14:30 your stay will be short. In winter, either finish KITTE and lunch a little earlier or move the East Gardens to the morning to give yourself more time.
• Rough costs: viewing the exterior and the domed ceiling of the station building, strolling along Marunouchi Nakadori, KITTE Garden, the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens and the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace are all free of charge. Your only real expenses are lunch and transport.
• Points to note: the top priority is to plan your dates so as to avoid the Mondays and Fridays when the East Gardens are closed. KITTE Garden may close in bad weather, so on a rainy day switch to the indoor areas of KITTE or the shops inside the station. The Imperial Palace Outer Gardens and East Gardens are extensive and include gravel paths, so wear comfortable walking shoes.

* The only entrance gates to the East Gardens are Otemon, Hirakawamon and Kitahanebashimon. You cannot enter directly from the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens side where Nijubashi Bridge is, so keep in mind the route from Wadakuramon round to Otemon and you will not get lost.

(Sources: official website of the Imperial Household Agency (East Gardens of the Imperial Palace); official website of KITTE Marunouchi. As of July 2026)