# Kyoto Imperial Palace

> The former residence of Japan's Imperial family for over 500 years until 1869, set within the expansive Kyoto Gyoen National Garden and open to the public free of charge.

- Prefecture: Kyoto
- Type: Historic site
- Address: Kyoto, Japan
- Admission: Free
- Official site: https://kyoto-gosho.kunaicho.go.jp/en

Emperors lived here for five centuries, from 1331 until 1869, when the court followed the government to Tokyo and the palace was left behind. It has never been given up: the enthronement ceremonies of the Taisho and Showa emperors were both held in this throne hall, decades after the capital moved.

The buildings are not old. Fire took the palace repeatedly, and what stands now dates from 1855, rebuilt in a deliberately archaic Heian style rather than the style of its own century. That makes it a nineteenth-century reconstruction of a tenth-century idea, which is worth knowing before you judge the plainness of it. The Shishinden, the main hall, is a cypress-bark roof over an empty raised floor, with a cherry tree on the left of the steps and a mandarin orange on the right, exactly as the records prescribe.

Entry is free and no longer requires a booking, which changed in 2016. It is closed on Mondays. The route through the grounds is fixed and signposted in English, and it takes about an hour.

The palace sits inside Kyoto Gyoen, sixty-three hectares of gravel walks, pine and plum that were once the mansions of court nobles, all cleared after 1869. The park itself is open at all hours and free, and it is the largest piece of open sky in central Kyoto. The gravel is deep and hard going in the wrong shoes.

The Sento Imperial Palace in the southeast corner has a better garden and still requires an advance reservation. Imadegawa station is at the northwestern corner.

## FAQ

### Do I need a reservation to visit Kyoto Imperial Palace?

No, since 2016 the palace is open year-round without reservations. Simply enter through the Seishomon Gate. English-language guided tours are available at set times.

### What are the opening hours?

Open 9:00-16:30 (last entry 15:50), closed Mondays and December 28 to January 4. April-August hours extend to 17:00. The surrounding Kyoto Gyoen park is open 24 hours.

### How long does a visit take?

The palace tour route takes about 50 minutes. Add another hour to stroll through Kyoto Gyoen park, which is lovely for picnics under cherry blossoms in spring or autumn foliage.

### What should I not miss inside the palace?

The Shishinden ceremonial hall where emperors were enthroned, the Oikeniwa garden, and the distinctive cypress bark roofs. Photography is allowed throughout most of the palace grounds.

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Source: Kyoto Imperial Palace — Japan Voyage