Imperial Palace Loop

Great walking area around the Imperial palace. Greenspace is so key in this mega metropolis concrete jungle for the residents (as the same in NYC with Central Park). The landscape and scenery is quite nice and we were lucky to catch some of the Sakura (cherry blossoms) still in full bloom here. It was one of the best examples of Cherry blossoms on my trip to Japan as they were still in full bloom. It’s a great place to come for a walk, jog or run to soak in some nature and feel relaxed. It’s one of the largest open green spaces in Tokyo. We saw a fair amount of Chinese tour bus bring tourists. Our visit was on a Monday so it was quite quiet. On the weekend and during high holidays I’ve heard that it’s a very popular area to come calm the nerves or become one with nature.

Great spot for a run. It’s almost exactly 5 KM which makes it easy and there’s markers on the ground every so often. Plenty of bathrooms along the way and there’s not too many choke points. It’s a bit hard to tell but there’s quite a bit of up and downhill parts especially on the first half so keep that in mind if you’re struggling.

Our morning tour bus took us around the Imperial Palace loop last month, and then the next day — we got to chance to visit the Imperial Palace itself (we had a reservation made in advance).
We saw many people running this loop around the Imperial Palace, it’s serene and scenic. It almost feels like a large «Central Park» in the middle of Tokyo, except it’s not really a public park for you to hang out all day. haha :)
See blog for more photos of the Imperial Palace and the East Gardens:

I like to tell friends and family about the day I accidentally walked 3 miles during my trip to Tokyo. Like many before me (and actually like I did on my trip 5 years ago too) I got to the Imperial Palace to find it closed except by reservation that you must make one week in advance. I was directed to the public gate, but told it was closed too. It’s only open certain days of the week (letting you into the East Gardens). Anyway, my husband and I walked to the public gate (counterclockwise route from the main entrance) and inspected the sign to find out when the gardens would be open for us to visit. I knew that behind us was some scenery and buildings I wanted to photograph, but instead of turning around I said how about we just keep walking to the right and go around the whole palace and eventually we’ll be where I want to take pictures.
So wet set off. The palace grounds were a lot bigger than I had realized! For most of the walk, the view was amazing, with high walls of giant stone surrounding the palace grounds, and a deep wide moat between us and it. Ducks, grebes, and swans swam in the water below, and the old style of buildings and the green of the trees contrasted heavily and attractively against the modern skyscrapers behind and around it. Part of the walk was further away from the street and traffic, with a thicker median and flowerbeds and art status and water features. Part of the walk was across the street from an art museum that we stopped in at briefly. Part of the walk was very boring, with a boring shrub-​wall on one side with plain grass and no moat and no cool looking wall on the other, and city traffic directly to your other side, but most of the walk was very picturesque. I’d recommend it if you don’t mind the distance. The markers every 0.1 km were handy and accompanied by a beautiful tile depicting a different kind of flower.
The route is easy to get to from the Tokyo subway and easy to find with a simple map.

Being that the Palace is pretty much private tours only, we got stumped when we tried to go. Even the gardens were closed on the first attempt. Phooey. However the loop is pretty fantastic and our stroll was buffeted my a marathon that day. As we leisurely walked people huffed passed us. So glad i was just taking in nature and not working my ass off. Cliff walls, water, some hints of the internal architecture, and of course the swans and birds that inhabit the water. If you look outward the tech of modern Tokyo surrounds. The ring of Tokyo dichotomy

Perfect 5 km walking /​running path around the Imperial Palace!
Favorite of both locals & visitors, this is a paved path with markers every 0.1km distance. Gorgeous scenery, easy access by multiple metro lines (directly to the path), a few bathrooms and water fountains — you have everything you need here.
Once you know the area, you can start taking excursions that break away from the path. Follow the posted rules (run counterclockwise) and enjoy your workout!