Thank you for waiting (we were not the ones who made you wait). The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace (Edo Castle), famous as an "oasis in the city center," reopened last week. Needless to say, they had been closed temporarily since March 28 because of COVID-19, so this is the first opening in a little over two months.
So, at lunch on June 2, the day they reopened, we slipped out of the Palaceside Building and wandered over.
Trying to enter at Hirakawa-mon, first, just before the gate where a police officer stands, people with bags go through a bag check.
A little after the gate, staff hand visitors an "admission slip" at a gate, but just before that a caution board is posted = photos right, above. It lists (1) wear a mask, wash hands and disinfect fingers; (2) avoid crowding and close contact; (3) avoid long stays in indoor facilities.
Then, as we were about to receive the admission slip. A notice in red said "Issuance of admission slips has been stopped"
= photos right, below, a sort of "free pass." It is about avoiding "contact" to prevent infection.
Walking inside, there are few people. Or rather, it is almost empty. Passing Tenjin-bori, climbing the gentle slope and looping around to the foot of Bairin-zaka, looking toward Naka-no-mon, it was hollow and almost no one was there = the top photo.
After that we went to Ninomaru Garden and came back, and in that time we saw only a dozen or so people. The biggest cause is probably inbound tourism "evaporating." While we walked, we saw only one foreigner (a Westerner). People who might be Asian, indistinguishable from Japanese except by language, we noticed none. There used to be plenty of Chinese tour groups.
Ninomaru
Garden: we went hoping the azaleas would be at their peak, but sadly the height had passed = photo left. They may look fairly in bloom, but they were quite withered. Compared with a photo taken in late May some years ago (at the end), the angle is a little different, but the pine whose trunk leans left in the back should give you the position. In full season it is wonderful, but this year, because of COVID, we can only say it is a shame. Let us hope we can see it again next year.
Opening hours for the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace through the end of August are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 5:30 p.m.). Details are on the Imperial Household Agency website (https://www.kunaicho.go.jp/event/higashigyoen/higashigyoen.html)
Public tours of the Imperial Palace, also paused to prevent COVID spread, resumed on the 2nd as well. For now each morning and afternoon session is limited to 50 people.
