The Imperial Palace is a bit of a non-sight. Sure, unlike Paris’ Bastille it is there but you just can’t actually see it. However the huge moat and some of the stonewalls and a few guardhouses make the trip worth the effort.

The Japanese Emperors resided for centuries in Kyoto while the Shogun wielded real military and political power from Edo (now Tokyo). In 1868 the Tokugawa Shogunate collapsed and Emperor Meiji moved to Edo and renamed the city Tokyo. (Tokyo simply means capital in the east.)

Edo Castle burned down during the 17th century and was never rebuilt as a military bastion. However, the new castle residence of the Shogun was ringed by 16 moats resulting in the biggest castle complex in the world. The castle was in the center and the proximity of the residences of nobility to the castle was determined by the level of trust the shogun had in the nobles. The level of trust was never very high and the Tokugawa shogunate had a system in which a nobleman alternated his residence between Edo and his real productive land. While on his own land his family had to stay in Edo basically as hostages of the Shogun. This system forced the nobility to maintain two expensive households and none ever manage to upstage the Tokugawas. The result was that the nobility was impoverished and after 250 years of peace the merchants and other professionals, who were of a low rank in the shogunate, emerged as the rich and most respected class after the Meiji restoration that begun in 1868.

The palace was destroyed in the Second World War and the current structure dates from the late 1960s. Today only the innermost moat remained intact but it is impressive enough. A favorite jogging course in Tokyo goes around the Palace and it is exactly 5 km. Small parts of some of the outer moats were preserved including in front of the Akasaka Prince and New Otani hotels in Akasaka.

For ordinary mortals the only time it is possible to enter the palace grounds is on 23 December (the Emperor’s birthday) and the second of January. On both days the Imperial family waves at the crowd and even then you can’t go in far. The only area of the former palace proper that is open is the East Garden, which is well worth a visit especially in spring.

Japanese tourist groups flock in droves to have their photo taken at the Niju-bashi Bridge. There is even a semi-permanent scaffolding so the whole tour group can get into the official picture. The bridge is famous in Japanese history as the scene of several famous kabuki plays and is thus revered in Japanese folklore. The bridge is however rather plain and of limited attraction to foreigners. Some of the white guardhouses and gates make for prettier "only in Japan" photos.