Imperial Gardens

Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, Japan.

Tokyo Imperial Palace, known as Kokyo which literally means the Imperial Residence, is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan (the Japanese head of state). The actual Tokyo Imperial Palace building is located within the grounds of what was Edo Castle. Today some of Edo Castle's moats, defensive walls, gate houses and turrets still remain.

Tokyo Imperial Palace, located in Chiyoda, is effectively the center of Tokyo, which makes sense from a historical perspective as Edo Castle would have been the focus of the city of Edo (now referred to as Tokyo). Even with Japan's change to a democracy and the decline in the power of the Emperor, Tokyo Imperial Palace has remained at the center of Tokyo with focus of the modern political power, the National Diet building, the Prime Ministers Offices and most of the government building just to the south over Sakurada moat. Then much of Tokyo's financial power is located just to the west of Tokyo Imperial Palace with many of Japan's major companies having there head offices there and it is not far to Tokyo Stock Exchange. Just to the west of Tokyo Imperial Palace, isTokyo Station, the center of Japan's train network.