Last updated March 29, 2022
Experiencing the history of the Kitanomaru of Edo Castle
2. Hanzomon, Kudanshita
A course from Hanzomon Station to Chidorigafuchi, and through Kitanomaru Garden. Visit locations including the Science Museum, which was designed to widely diffuse and promote science technology and industrial technology of modern times and the near future, and SHOWA-KAN, which depicts the wartime and post-war days of the Showa era.
- Metropolitan center and sub-center
- Culture/History
Route
Select a spot to see details such as tourist information and barrier-free information.
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Start
Tokyo MetroHanzomon Station [Exit 6]
About 5 minutes on foot
About 300 meters
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Spot1
Chidorigafuchi Park
About 15 minutes on foot
About 870 meters
Travel Tips
・The slope on the southern side before reaching the Chidorigafuchi Intersection is used because the slope by the intersection is steep.
・A part of the path is surrounded by stone walls and is narrow. (the effective width of the path is about 130 cm)
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Spot2
Science Museum
About 12 minutes on foot
About 670 meters
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Spot3
Kitanomaru Garden
On foot
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Spot4
Tayasumon Gate
About 5 minutes on foot
About 300 meters
Travel Tips
The road on the left side approaching Uchibori Street is used because the slope at the entrance on the right side is steep.
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Spot5
SHOWA-KAN
About 2 minutes on foot
About 100 meters
- Goal Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway LineKudanshita Station [Exit 6]
- Information used in the creation of this website was current as of January 2022
- Indicated route travel times are calculated based on a speed of about 60 meters/minute
Route Details
There is also useful information for when you actually visit a spot, such as the time required, details on restrooms, and travel time between spots.
Explanation of PictogramsNote Items are indicated in dark blue if applicable.
- Wheelchair-accessible restroom (located within the ticket gates at train and subway stations unless noted otherwise)
- Nursing area (with diaper-changing table, unless noted otherwise)
- Written communication possible through communication boards or paper
- Osotomate-friendly facility
- Parking for the impaired
- Explanations, etc. available through tactile maps or in Braille
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Start Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Station [Exit 6]
The starting point is Hanzomon Station (Exit 6) on the Tokyo Metro Line.
For station details, refer to the Tokyo Metro website. -
About 5 minutes on foot
About 300 meters
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Spot1 Chidorigafuchi Park About 10 minutes
Chidorigafuchi is a moat made by blocking the Tsubonezawa River with earthen bridges at Hanzomon Gate and Tayasumon Gate during the expansion of Edo Castle. The park is located between Chidorigafuchi and the British Embassy, and has about 170 cherry trees such as the Someiyoshino and Yamazakura cherry trees with flowers that blossom beautifully in the spring. It is also a popular spot for strolling.
Accessibility Information
Those in wheelchairs can use the walking path. However, those in wheelchairs are asked to be careful at the entrance of the park near the Chidorigafuchi Intersection on the northern side because there is a long 8-degree downward slope. There are no steps at the entrance by the Chidorigafuchi Intersection on the southern side.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom located near the entrance at Hanzomon Restroom Information
1 wheelchair-accessible restroom (with ostomate facilities) located near the entrance at Hanzomon. There is a diaper changing table.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-5211-4243 (Road Park Division Chiyoda City)
- Address
- Ichibancho-2, 1-2, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Free
- Closed days
- Free
- Official Website
- http://kanko-chiyoda.jp/tabid/1118/default.aspx
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 15 minutes on foot
About 870 meters
Travel Tips
・The slope on the southern side before reaching the Chidorigafuchi Intersection is used because the slope by the intersection is steep.
・A part of the path is surrounded by stone walls and is narrow (the effective width of the path is about 130 cm). -
Spot2 Science Museum About 1 hour
The wonders of science themed on familiar things and various technology leading to the near future are introduced centering on hands-on exhibits. Be exposed to things that you find absolutely amazing and things that you never knew about not by just looking at the exhibits, but also touching and moving them around. Projections shown on a Synra Dome with a diameter of 10 meters are popular with both adults and children.
Accessibility Information
Visitors can see, touch, and feel for themselves various forms of science and technology. Those in wheelchairs can access each floor by elevator but are asked to notify the staff when doing so. Please go to the reception counter on the 1st floor or the staff counter on the 5th floor if you would like to use a communication board.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on 4th floor Restroom Information
3 wheelchair-accessible restrooms are located in the building (1st, 3rd, and 4th floors). Ostomate facilities are available in the restroom on the 3rd floor.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3212-8544
- Address
- 2-1, Kitanomaru Koen, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- ¥880 (Discounts are available for physically challenged persons with disability certificate and one accompanying person.)
- Hours
- 10:00 - 16:50 (admission until 16:00)
- Closed days
- Please check the Official Website.
- Official Website
- http://www.jsf.or.jp/eng/
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
Please feel free to visit the interactive facilities that many visitors find interesting.
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About 12 minutes on foot
About 670 meters
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Spot3 Kitanomaru Garden about 40 minutes (to include a visit to the Tayasumon Gate)
The location where the Kitanomaru of Edo Castle was located during the Edo period. It is a relaxation spot with many people who come to enjoy activities such as nature observation and walking. Luminous moss, which is specified as a national natural treasure, grows naturally on the stone wall of the moat on the west side. It is a rare type of moss that can usually be found only in places such as high-altitude caves. Access is closed but photos are available on the website.
Accessibility Information
Some areas in the park have stairs, steps, and slopes, but there is also a route that can be taken by those in wheelchairs. Parking Areas 1, 2, and 3 at Kitanomaru Garden have exclusive spaces for customers with impairments. Wheelchairs and communication boards are lent out at the Kitanomaru resting spot, “The Forest Kitanomaru.”
Wheelchair-accessible restroom located near Parking Area 3 Restroom Information
There are four wheelchair-accessible restrooms and three ostomate facilities in the park.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3211-7878
- Address
- 1-1, Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Free
- Closed days
- Free
- Official Website
- http://www.env.go.jp/garden/kokyogaien/english/point05.html
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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On foot
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Spot4 Tayasumon Gate About 40 minutes (to include the Kitanomaru Garden)
This is the entrance to Kitanomaru Garden and the only remains left from 1636 when the outermost enclosure of Edo Castle was completed. It is a square-shaped “masugatamon-style” gate and consists of a "koraimon-style" gate at the front and a "yaguramon-style" gate at the right side at the back. Inside the gate were magistrate’s residences, a cloister for women who served at the inner palace, and the residences of people such as Princess Sen, Kasuganotsubone, and Tokugawa Ieyasu’s second wife and Mito Yorifusa’s adoptive mother, Eishoin.
Accessibility Information
Visitors can touch the actual stone walls of Tayasumon Gate and Edo Castle. Those traveling along Yasukuni Street are asked to be careful as it is a downhill trip with a steep slope.
Restroom Information
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Facility Information
- Telephone number
- None
- Address
- 1-1, Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Free
- Closed days
- Free
- Official Website
- http://www.env.go.jp/garden/kokyogaien/english/point08.html
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 5 minutes on foot
About 300 meters
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Spot5 SHOWA-KAN About 1 hour
A national facility built for the purpose of conveying to future generations the hardships that citizens faced in daily life during wartime and post-war days. In the permanent exhibition rooms on the 6th and 7th floors, there are around 500 items related to the daily lives of the people from about 1935 to 1955. In addition, you can view mainly photographs and videos of how people lived during wartime and post-war days, as well as sounds from 78 rpm records in the audio-visual room.
On the 4th Saturday of odd months, storytellers perform picture-story shows from the approximately 500 pieces in the collection. Also, ｒegular lectures are held by the next generation of storytellers on the first Sunday of even-numbered months.Accessibility Information
Visitors can enjoy old-fashioned newsreels, and can also experience a bomb shelter and dial-up black telephones as permanent exhibition. Wheelchairs are lent out at the general information counter on the 1st floor. There is a nursing room on the 1st floor. There are no seats for changing diapers.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on 5th floor Restroom Information
There are wheelchair-accessible restrooms on the 1st and 3rd to 7th floors.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3222-2577
- Address
- 1-6-1, Kudanminami, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- ¥300 (free for junior high school students and younger)
- Hours
- 10:00 - 17:30 (admission until 17:00)
- Closed days
- Mondays (the following day if Monday is a national holiday)
- Official Website
- https://www.showakan.go.jp/pdf/showakan_en.pdf
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 2 minutes on foot
About 100 meters
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Goal Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway Line Kudanshita Station [Exit 6]
The course finishes at Kudanshita Station (Exit 6) on the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway Line.
For station details, refer to the Toei Subway website operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Transportation and the Tokyo Metro website.Tokyo Metro Website
Toei Subway website operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Transportation
Sightseeing spots around the area
Hanzomon and Kudanshita
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Spot6 National Archives of Japan
A treasure house of official documents and other materials received from governmental agencies in Japan stored and conserved as historical materials. They hold regular exhibits, special exhibits, and rotating exhibits. There is also a reading room where visitors can use archival documents.
Accessibility Information
There are no steps or slopes at the entrance or inside, and displays on the 1st floor of official documents are set low so as to be easily viewed by wheelchair users. The preserved documents can be viewed in the 2nd floor reading room. Wheelchair users can take the elevator to the 2nd floor. There are dedicated parking spaces for customers with impairments.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on 2nd floor Restroom Information
Wheelchair-accessible restroom located on the 2nd floor
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3214-0621 (main)
- Address
- 3-2, Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Reading Room: 09:15 - 17:00 (admission is until 16:30)
- Closed days
- Reading Room: Sundays, Mondays, national holidays, and other holidays as prescribed by law
*Please visit the website for dates and times of exhibits. - Official Website
- http://www.archives.go.jp/english/
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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Spot7 Chidorigafuchi Pedestrian Path
A walking path along Chidorigafuchi on the west side of the Imperial Palace surrounded by greenery and a moat. It is a 700 meter-long path from the entrance of the National Cemetery for War Dead to Yasukuni Street.
Accessibility Information
There are no steps on the walking path so wheelchair users can enjoy the scenery comfortably while following the path.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom near the boat area Restroom Information
Wheelchair-accessible restroom located near the boat area. There is a diaper changing table.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3234-1948 (boat ground)
03-5211-4243 (Road Park Division Chiyoda City) - Address
- From 2-chome to 3-bancho Kudanminami, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Free
- Closed days
- Free
- Official Website
- http://www.kanko-chiyoda.jp.e.ie.hp.transer.com/
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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Spot8 JCII Camera Museum
See the development of cameras in Japan before photos could be taken easily with smartphones like today.
Accessibility Information
Reception is on the B1 floor so those in wheelchairs must first go to the Japan Camera Industry Institute in the adjacent building. A staff member will take you via elevator to the exhibition room on the B1 floor. Cameras stored by the museum can be searched for and viewed with a touchscreen search system. The floors in the building are level and the displays are at heights that make them easy to see.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on the B1 floor Restroom Information
Wheelchair-accessible restroom located next to the reception counter.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3263-7110
- Address
- JCII Ichibancho Bldg., 25, Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku
- Fee
- ¥300
- Hours
- 10:00 - 17:00
- Closed days
- Mondays (the following day if Monday is a national holiday)
- Official Website
- https://www.jcii-cameramuseum.jp/
*This information was current as of January 2022. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.