• How to participate in Public Events at the Imperial Palace and to visit the Palace and other Establishments
  • Visit of the General Public to the Palace for the New Year Greeting
  • Visit of the General Public to the Palace for His Majesty's Birthday
  • Shosoin (heritage viewing)
  • Sannomaru Shozokan (The Museum of the Imperial Collections)
  • Visit Guide (Application for the Imperial Palaces in Tokyo and Kyoto)(Open this content in a new window)
  • East Gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
  • Public Opening of the Kyoto Imperial Palace

You are here : HomeHow to participate in Public Events at the Imperial Palace and to visit the Palace and other Establishments Requests to visitors

Requests to visitors

1. Please arrive well in advance of the last admission time to avoid the last-minute rush and crowding (Last admission time 15:20 ).


2. Bring a mask, practice proper handwashing and sanitization. Please wear a mask when you talk with someone in close quarters: less than 2 meters apart, or at indoor facilities.


3. Temperature checks will be conducted at the entrance.


4. Please refrain from entering the palace grounds
   ・if your temperature is 37.5 ℃ (99.5°F) or higher.
   ・if you feel unwell.


5. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection, we may restrict entry to the palace grounds due to prevent overcrowding.


6. The following persons are not permitted:
   ・persons with hazardous materials (explosives, guns or knives, toxic substances, etc.) or large items (long flagpoles, large baggage ) that may be a nuisance to other visitors.
   ・persons who is deemed likely to hinder the operation of the event.


7. To avoid crowds, please refrain from guiding and taking group photos.
8. Please pay special attention to keep your distance in narrow places along the route. For the prevention of accidents, please do not use tripods, stepladders, and other camera equipment. The use of parasols is permitted only when they will neither hurt others nearby nor obstruct other people’s views.


9. We may temporarily restrict and change the visitors’ route to avoid crowding.


10. We may cancel or suspend the event in case of severe weather or other unavoidable circumstances.


11. Visitors who conduct any of the following acts on the palace grounds may be asked to leave the site：
    （1）Entering a restricted area.
    （2）Smoking and other acts which pose a fire risk.
    （3）Eating and drinking (Drinking liquids to stay hydrated is permitted).
    （4）Damaging and defacing the facilities. Moving furnishings of the facilities.
    （5）Taking photos or videos for commercial use.
    （6）Holding meeting, protesting, or demonstrating.
    （7）Putting up posters, distributing leaflets.
    （8）Flying drones or taking photos or videos with drones.
    （9）Any other acts that would put into disorder or hinder the operation of the event.

Contact: The Kyoto Office of the Imperial Household Agency
Tel: 075-211-1211 (8:30-17:15 weekdays only)