Running the Imperial Palace loop (about 5 km) remains popular. In front of Palaceside Building at Takebashi, young and old dash through day and evening.
In a blog post on January 31 last year, I wrote that Chiyoda Ward's "Imperial Palace Area Community Committee" (established December 2011) was considering "new rules" to improve Imperial Palace run manners and the environment. Many hoped for action as troubles grew — pedestrians colliding with cyclists and runners on sidewalks. A year and a half later, on June 5, nine manners were decided.
Groups such as the "Imperial Palace Area Runner Support Council" had already issued their own manners — for example the "Ten Manners Declaration" — but because they were not widely known, quite rough runners and cyclists remained. This time the ward took responsibility to create common rules.
The nine items: 1) pedestrians have priority on sidewalks; 2) do not block sidewalks; 3) single file in narrow places; 4) runners and walkers loop counterclockwise; 5) courtesy over pace; 6) avoid "while-using" music players or smartphones; 7) cyclists at speeds where they can stop immediately; 8) always take litter home; 9) act with consideration.
For marathons and running events on weekends and holidays, start/finish/assembly is limited to Sakurada Gate Plaza; events are voluntarily suspended during cherry-blossom viewing (March 15–April 15); starts are capped at 100 people per group with at least five minutes between groups (event rules apply from September 1).
The new rules are not laws or ordinances — no penalties for breaking them. They are voluntary manners. News coverage was substantial when they were announced, but clockwise runners and earphone "while-running" users are still conspicuous. The ward plans to publicize them via website, signs, posters, and flyers — no easy task. Seeing how many ignore leaking headphone noise on trains, I am a bit pessimistic.