Tokyo Chiyoda

Tokyo’s Chiyoda (千代田) ward is the center of the city and in many ways the center of all Japan. A mere 12 km² houses the Imperial Palace, the Diet, the ministries of Toranomon, the corporate headquarters of Marunouchi, the controversial Yasukuni Shrine… and still has room left over for the shopping districts of Akihabara, Jimbocho and Kanda. How to get thereTokyo Station, the hub for Shinkansen trains as well as the Narita Express to the airport, lies to the east side of Chiyoda. Many subway lines crisscross the district, of primary importance being the Metro Marunouchi line (to Shinjuku), the Metro Hanzomon line (to Shibuya), the Metro Hibiya line (to Roppongi) and the Metro Chiyoda line (to Harajuku). What to seeThe Imperial Palace (皇居 Kokyo), surrounded by a moat and a high wall, occupies the most expensive square kilometer in the world. The inner palace gardens and buildings are closed to the public except on January 2 and December 23, when the imperial family makes a public appearance; foreigners can also apply online to join a guided tour at other times, but you must book well in advance. The Imperial Palace East Gardens, however, are open to the public daily except Mondays and Fridays. Kept in impeccable shape, the gardens are particularly beautiful during the March and April plum and cherry blossom seasons. Entrance is free through a number of gates; most visitors use the Otemachi gate near the subway station of the same name. Connected to the East Gardens is Kitanomaru Park, offering much of the same and a convenient way to get to Yasukuni Shrine. The park also houses the Nihon Budokan, which regularly stages martial arts competitions. Lake at Kitanomaru Park Yasukuni Shrine (靖國神社) is a controversial shrine to Japan’s war dead, housing the souls of some 2.5 million people killed in Japan’s wars — including convicted war criminals executed by the Allies. A favorite haunt of right-wing groups in black loudspeaker-equipped trucks. Open daily and free entrance adjacent to Metro Hanzomon line Kudanshita station, or cross the bridge north from Kitanomaru Park. Yasukuni Shrine The Yushukan War Memorial Museum (遊就館), adjacent to the shrine, is an odd collection of military paraphernalia (including human torpedoes and letters from kamikaze pilots) and one-sided descriptions of the war. Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, entry a rather steep ¥800. (Article from/based on Wikitravel article and may be copied freely) |