• Brief description: official residence of the Japanese Imperial Family. The East Gardens can be visited for free. The surroundings of the palace can be visited in a free guided tour, which requires registration at Kikyo-mon Gate at least 30min before the visit.
• Duration of visit: 1 hr 15 min.
• Palace opening times: visits only during the week, at 10.00 and at 13.30. There are no visits at weekends or on national holidays. There is no 13.30 visit from 21 July to 31 August.
• Garden opening times: 9:00 to 16:30 (until 17:00 from mid April through August; until 16:00 from November through February). Closed Mondays, Fridays, New Year (Dec 28 to Jan 3) and some special occasions. If Monday or Friday is a national holiday, the gardens are closed on the following day instead.
• Cost: free.
• How to get there: take the metro (160¥) or train (covered by the JRP) to Tokyo station. The 5-min. walk to get there is signposted. 
• Note: if you are traveling in April when the cherry blossom, don't miss the northwest side of the moat (see special section in the "Practical Information" area).