Nijubashi Bridge: The Double Bridge to the Imperial Sanctuary
Why is it significant?
Gaze across the serene waters of the inner moat at the timeless postcard vista of Nijubashi Bridge, framed by manicured black pines and the pristine white Fushimi Yagura watchtower perched on the stone cliffs behind.
Key Facts
| Place | Nijubashi Bridge: The Double Bridge to the Imperial Sanctuary |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0001, Japan |
| Geo Coordinates | 35.67980, 139.75750 |
| Part of Walk | Tokyo: Imperial Palace & Marunouchi, The Samurai Stronghold |
| Generated | Generated |
Gaze across the serene waters of the inner moat at the timeless postcard vista of Nijubashi Bridge, framed by manicured black pines and the pristine white Fushimi Yagura watchtower perched on the stone cliffs behind. This is the ceremonial entrance to the Imperial Palace proper, where Emperor Naruhito and the imperial family reside. Visitors gather from around the world to photograph the graceful double-arched stone bridge reflected in the glassy water, creating a perfect circular symmetry. The dignity of the setting radiates serene imperial majesty.
The bridge you see in the foreground is actually the Seimon Ishibashi, or Main Gate Stone Bridge, constructed in eighteen eighty-seven with granite imported from the hills of Yamaguchi. The true Nijubashi, or Double Bridge, is the elegant cast-iron bridge partially visible directly behind it. In the Edo period, the inner wooden bridge had to be built with two tiers of support beams to span the deep chasm, giving it its famous name that endures to this day.
Normally closed to the public and guarded by white-gloved imperial police, these bridges are opened to ordinary citizens only twice a year: on January second for the Emperor's New Year Greeting, and on the Emperor's Birthday, when tens of thousands cross over to wave Japanese flags before the royal family on the palace balcony. The bridges serve as the sacred threshold between the sovereign and the people.
Look closely at the Fushimi Yagura tower on the embankment above the bridge: legend says this two-story fortress tower was originally built for warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Fushimi Castle in Kyoto, and was dismantled beam by beam in sixteen twenty-eight and reassembled here in Edo.
Stroll southeast across the wide pine-covered lawn of Kokyo Gaien to find the bronze equestrian statue of Kusunoki Masashige.