Enter the Emperor's Back Garden

"Kyoto Imperial Garden" was originally an important place for the royal family. Later, during the Meiji period, the royal family moved the capital to Edo. The former imperial garden of the Japanese emperor gradually became a national garden for the Japanese people. However, except for the gardens open to the public, visits to the Sento, Shugakuin Imperial Villa and Katsura Imperial Villa require advance online reservations, and there is no walk-in. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is open to the public all year round and is free to enter. Friends who are interested in visiting need to budget about 3 hours, and it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes, because before entering the Imperial Garden, you need to pass a long carriage road with small stones on the road, which is very tiring to walk on. After passing the carriage road, you will enter the main gate of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the Seisho-mon Gate, and need to go through security checks, check your belongings and luggage, and then get a visitor pass. There is a rest area in the venue where everyone is resting. There is a self-service beverage machine where you can buy drinks. There is also a gift shop in the venue where you can buy limited souvenirs. After the rest, we started to visit the buildings of Kyoto Imperial Garden along the designated route: Goshaji, Minami-tei, Jomeimon, Kenreimai, Seiryoden, etc. Along the way, we also passed by Oike-niwa and other gardens. The beautiful scenery is definitely worth a visit! Transportation reference: From Kiyomizu-dera Temple to Gyoen, take bus No. 102 and get off at Karasuma Imadegawa Station. Imperial Palace opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (For details, please refer to the website of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan) Reservations for Sento, Shugakuin Imperial Villa and Katsura Imperial Villa: Japan Imperial Household Agency website #Halloween2023 #OverseasTravel #KyotoTravel