Imperial Palace East Gardens

The Higashi-gyoen are the publicly accessible eastern part of the Imperial Palace grounds and show what remains of Edo Castle, once the largest fortress in the world. The Honmaru, the inner bailey, is now an open lawn, marked only by the massive stone foundations of the watchtower that burned in 1657 and was never rebuilt. Next to it, the Ninomaru garden keeps a classical Japanese strolling pond garden, with hundreds of trees and shrubs tracking the seasons. Entry is free, paths are well signed; an audio guide helps you read the former power of the Tokugawa in today's silence.