Chiyoda

Overview

Landmarks

• Imperial Palace

  皇居Kōkyo

  Residence of the emperor on the site of Edo Castle; the Nijubashi bridges and outer plaza are open to all, the inner grounds on guided tours.

• Imperial Palace East Gardens

  皇居東御苑Kōkyo Higashi Gyoen

  The former inner citadel of Edo Castle, with the massive keep foundation, guardhouses and a Japanese garden.

• Tokyo Station

  東京駅Tōkyō-eki

  Red-brick Marunouchi building of 1914 with domed halls, an Important Cultural Property.

• National Diet Building

  国会議事堂Kokkai Gijidō

  Granite parliament building of 1936 with a stepped central tower; tours are offered when the Diet is not sitting.

• Kanda Myojin

  神田明神Kanda Myōjin

  Guardian shrine of old Edo's commoner districts, popular with Akihabara's businesses and fans.

• Yasukuni Shrine

  靖国神社Yasukuni Jinja

  Shrine founded in 1869 for Japan's war dead; its war museum and the enshrinement of war criminals make it politically contested.

• National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

  東京国立近代美術館Tōkyō Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan

  Japan's leading collection of modern Japanese art, beside the palace moat at Takebashi.

• Nippon Budokan

  日本武道館Nippon Budōkan

  Octagonal hall built for judo at the 1964 Olympics, famous also as a concert venue.

Districts

• Marunouchi and Otemachi

  丸の内Marunouchi

  Business district between Tokyo Station and the palace, with shopping streets and restored early-modern buildings.

• Kasumigaseki and Nagatacho

  霞が関Kasumigaseki

  The government quarter of ministries, the Diet and the Prime Minister's Office.

• Akihabara

  秋葉原Akihabara

  Electronics shops, anime and manga stores, game centres and maid cafés.

• Kanda and Jimbocho

  神保町Jinbōchō

  Some 130 second-hand bookshops, publishers and a famous curry scene.

• Chidorigafuchi and Kudan

  千鳥ヶ淵Chidorigafuchi

  Moat-side promenade famous for its cherry trees and rowing boats.

History

Culture

Festivals

• Kanda Festival

  神田祭Kanda Matsuri

  Mid-May; in odd-numbered years a day-long procession with floats and portable shrines passes Akihabara and Nihonbashi.

• Sanno Festival

  山王祭Sannō Matsuri

  June festival of Hie Shrine in Nagatacho, with a grand procession in even-numbered years.

• Mitama Festival

  みたままつりMitama Matsuri

  Mid-July lantern festival at Yasukuni Shrine with tens of thousands of paper lanterns.

• Cherry blossom at Chidorigafuchi

  千鳥ヶ淵の桜Chidorigafuchi no sakura

  Late March to early April, with evening illuminations along the moat.

Food

• Kanda soba

  神田のそばKanda no soba

  Long-established soba houses in Kanda serve buckwheat noodles in the Edo style.

• Jimbocho curry

  神保町カレーJinbōchō karē

  Dozens of curry restaurants – Japanese, Indian and European-style – serve the book district.

• Anglerfish hotpot

  あんこう鍋ankō-nabe

  Served in winter in a historic wooden restaurant in Kanda Sudacho.

• Yakitori under the tracks

  ガード下gādo-shita

  Izakaya and yakitori stalls under the railway viaducts of Yurakucho.

Getting around

• Tokyo Station is the terminus of all Shinkansen lines and a stop on the JR Yamanote, Chuo, Keihin-Tohoku and Sobu lines and the Marunouchi subway.
• Akihabara is served by the JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and Sobu lines, the Hibiya subway and the Tsukuba Express.
• Nearly every Tokyo Metro and Toei subway line crosses the ward; stations such as Otemachi, Kasumigaseki and Kudanshita are major interchanges.
• The 5 km loop around the palace moats is popular with walkers and runners.

Day trips

• Ginza and Nihonbashi

  Shopping streets and the historic bridge next door in Chuo Ward.

• Ueno and Asakusa

  Museums, Senso-ji and the old town, a few stops north.

• Kamakura

  Temples and the Great Buddha, about an hour by JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station.

• Nikko

  The Toshogu, about two hours by Shinkansen and JR Nikko Line.

Other cities in the prefecture

Frequently asked questions