One of the main attractions of Tokyo is the Imperial Palace. Almost all tourists seek to get there. Indeed, it is an incredibly beautiful residence that occupies a huge area. There are gardens, parks, ancient pagodas, watchtowers and, of course, the old castle itself.

The history of palaces on this territory begins in the XV century when the first Edo Castle for the ruling family was built here. Several times the complex passed from one dynasty to another. Someone looked after the residence more carefully, someone less, but it came to the point that in 1888 all the buildings were completely reconstructed and the Imperial Palace, which can be seen today, appeared.

Unfortunately, not all buildings have survived to this day. Firstly, most castles were built of wood according to Japanese tradition. And frequent fires led to the fact that the houses simply burned to the ground. So, in the XIX century, a fire completely destroyed the main attraction - a five-story tower, with a height of 51 meters. This was the architectural dominant of the complex. Secondly, the bombing during the Second World War also greatly damages the houses.

Later, in peacetime, the castle complex was rebuilt. And even though most of the restored buildings were made of concrete to avoid fires, the Japanese style was preserved as fully as possible.

Today the imperial family lives on the territory of this complex. However, some parts of it are open to the public since 1968. So guests can walk through the East Gardens and visit the local museum of history and art, admire the walls of the ancient Edo Castle, take beautiful photographs on the Nijubashi steel bridge. Among those old buildings that can be seen by everyone, it is worth noting the watchtower, which has been preserved since the time of the shogunate.

There are two ways to get around the yard. Free access is available on January 2 and the birthday of the current Emperor. Then the guests come to see the main ruler of the country: the entire Imperial family goes out on the balcony to greet their subjects. The second way is to apply for admission as part of a tour group on the official website of the castle.