Crafted from part of the original castle compound, these lovely free gardens allow you to get close-up views of the massive stones used to build the castle walls, and even climb the ruins of one of the keeps, off the upper lawn. The number of visitors at any one time is limited, so it never feels crowded. Most people enter through Ōte-mon, the closest gate to Tokyo Station, and once the principal entrance to Edo Castle.
Just inside the gate you may want to drop by the Museum of Imperial Collections, which mounts small exhibits of the 9500-plus artworks owned by the imperial family.
Free two-hour guided walking tours of the garden are available every Saturday; meet at the Marunouchi central exit of Tokyo Station before 1pm.
There other two gates are Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon on the north side.
