Ginza & Imperial Palace

The symbolic center of Japan — all distances in the country are measured from this bridge. The original wooden bridge was built in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo (Tokyo) his capital, marking the starting point of the five great roads (gokaido) connecting Japan. The current stone bridge dates to 1911, decorated with bronze dragons and mythical creatures. In 1963, an expressway was built directly over the bridge, obscuring it — a decision now regarded as one of Tokyo's greatest urban planning mistakes. Plans to move the expressway underground are underway.

Look for the bronze plaque marking Japan's distance-zero point at the center of the bridge. The Bank of Japan's neoclassical building (1896) is a short walk away.

The only publicly accessible part of the Imperial Palace grounds, built on the former site of Edo Castle's innermost defense ring (honmaru). The castle, seat of the Tokugawa shoguns from 1603 to 1868, was the largest fortress in the world. The stone walls and moats remain, but the main tower burned in 1657 and was never rebuilt. The gardens feature a traditional Japanese garden, a rose garden, and seasonal plantings. The tenshudai (foundation of the main tower) offers views across the grounds. Free entry but closed Mondays and Fridays.

Enter through the Otemon Gate — the massive stones were placed without mortar by Edo-period engineers. The view from the tenshudai foundation is worth the climb.