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Central Tokyo 2: Chiyoda

Apr 21, 08 Comments

Chiyoda ward is the center of the city and in many ways the center of all Japan.

Chiyoda is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. Fifteen embassies are located within the ward. Chiyoda is also home to over 36,000 businesses employing over 888,000 people.

It houses the Imperial Palace, the Diet (Parliament), the corporate headquarters of Marunouchi, the massive Tokyo Station, as well as the shopping districts of Akihabara, Jimbocho and Kanda. The following places are of special interest:

The Imperial Palace, which is the most expensive square kilometer in the world, is the official residence of the Japanese imperial family. Unfortunately, the inner palace gardens and buildings are closed to the general public except on January 2 and December 23, when the imperial family makes a public appearance.

The Imperial Palace East Gardens, however, are open to the public daily. Kept in impeccable shape, the gardens are particularly beautiful during the March and April plum and cherry blossom seasons.

Yasukuni Shrine is a controversial shrine to Japan's war dead, housing the souls of some 2.5 million people killed in Japan's wars. Festivals take place most notably in mid-July and mid-October, which can attract as many people and vendors as it does on New Year's Day when the Japanese come to pray for a prosperous year.

The National Museum of Modern Art, the Idemitsu Art Museum (Japanese tradional arts), the Yamatane Museum of Art (modern Japanese-style paintings), and the New Otani Art Gallery (French and Japanese art).

Akihabara is Tokyo's "Electric Town". The area houses thousands of shops selling every technological gadget you can imagine, from computers to gaming consoles and vacuums to DVDs, at reasonable prices.