Edo Castle

Edo Castle was the fortified seat of the Tokugawa shogunate and the central stronghold of Edo, the city that became Tokyo. The castle precincts were transformed after the Meiji Restoration and now form the grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Public visitors can walk in the East Gardens, see extensive stone walls, moats and several historic gates, and view the famous double-span Nijubashi bridge from outside. The site’s remaining structures and layout give a clear sense of the original castle’s scale even though much of the palace buildings were rebuilt or replaced in the modern era.

The castle site dates to medieval fortifications attributed to builders such as Ota Dokan in the 15th century and was substantially expanded by Tokugawa Ieyasu and his successors after 1603 when Edo became the shogunate capital. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the castle became Imperial property and the grounds were adapted for use by the Imperial Household and public gardens.

The castle precincts lie in central Tokyo, west of Tokyo Station and adjacent to the Marunouchi and Otemachi business districts; the East Gardens are open to visitors and the wider palace area is a prominent central Tokyo landmark.

• Public access: The Imperial Palace complex includes publicly accessible areas such as the East Gardens, while other inner areas remain restricted as the Imperial residence.
• Best viewpoint: The Nijubashi bridge is a commonly photographed viewpoint and forms a principal public viewing spot for the former castle precinct.

What to See #

• East Gardens: The East Gardens are part of the former inner precincts of the castle and are a publicly accessible park containing foundation remnants of the old palace buildings and gardens.
• Nijubashi and castle moats: The stone walls, moats and several historic gates and bridges survive from the castle complex; the double bridge known as Nijubashi is a well-known viewpoint across the inner moat.