Last updated March 31, 2023
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.
- Start Tokyo MetroHanzomon Station [Exit 6]
About 5 minutes on foot
About 300 meters - 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) - Spot2 Science Museum
About 12 minutes on foot
About 670 meters - Spot3 Kitanomaru Garden
On foot
- 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. - 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 2023
- 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.
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- Wheelchair-accessible restroom (located within the ticket gates at train and subway stations unless noted otherwise)
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- Nursing area (with diaper-changing table, unless noted otherwise)
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- Written communication possible through communication boards or paper
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- Osotomate-friendly facility
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- Parking for the impaired
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- 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 -
Spot1 Chidorigafuchi Park About 10 minutes
Chidorigafuchi is a moat made byblocking the Tsubonezawa River withearthen bridges at Hanzomon Gate andTayasumon Gate during the expansionof Edo Castle. It used to be a long moat,but now it is divided into Hanzo Moat atDaikancho Street. The park is locatedbetween Hanzo Moat and the BritishEmbassy, and has about 170 cherrytrees such as the Someiyoshino andYamazakura cherry trees with flowersthat blossom beautifully in the spring. Itis also a popular spot for strolling.
Accessibility Information
Those in wheelchairs can use thewalking path. However, those inwheelchairs are asked to be carefulat the entrance of the park near theChidorigafuchi Intersection on thenorthern side because there is along downward slope. There are nosteps at the entrance by theHanzomon intersection on thesouth 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 2023. 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
- ¥950 (Discounts are available for physically challengedpersons with disability certificate and one accompanying person.)
- Hours
- 9:30 - 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 2023. 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 -
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 inthe park havestairs, steps, and slopes, but there is also a routethat can be taken by those in wheelchairs. ParkingAreas 1, 2, and 3 at Kitanomaru Garden haveexclusive spaces for customers with impairments.If you would like to rent a wheelchair or use awritten communication board, please come to the1st parking lot (8:30-16:30) or the KitanomaruGarden Office (weekdays 8:30-16:30).
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 2023. 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 2023. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 5 minutes on foot
About 300 meters -
Spot5 SHOWA-KAN About 1 hour
A national facility built for the purpose of conveying to future generations the hardshipsthat citizens faced in daily life during wartime and post-war days. In the permanentexhibition rooms on the 6th and 7th floors, there are around 500 items related to the dailylives of the people from about 1935 to 1955. In addition, you can view mainly photographsand videos of how people lived during wartime and post-war days, as well as sounds from78 rpm records in the audio-visual room.
On the 4th Saturday of odd months, storytellers perform picture-story shows in thecollection. In addition, the first Sunday of every Month, takes place a regular talk eventcalled “Story-tellers for the next generation”.Accessibility Information
The Museum features news reels from a longtime ago and in the permanent exhibition´s roomsvisitors can have experiences like go into an airraid shelter and try to draw water from a well.Wheelchairs are lent out at the generalinformation counter on the 1st floor. There is anursing room on the 1st floor. There are noseats 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
- Charged only on 6th and 7th floors] (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 2023. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 2 minutes on foot
About 100 meters -
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 historical public records andarchives received from governmental agencies in Japan,where they are preserved and made available for publicaccess. They hold permanent exhibits, special exhibits,and featured exhibits. There is also a reading roomwhere visitors can view archival materials.
Accessibility Information
There are no steps or slopes at the entrance or inside, anddisplays in the 1st floor exhibition hall are set low so as tobe easily viewed by wheelchair users.
Visitors can view the archival materials from its holdings fortheir research in the 2nd floor reading room. Wheelchairusers can take the elevator to the 2nd floor. There arededicated 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 2023. 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 2023. 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 2023. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.