The State Guest House, Akasaka Palace, is a century-old building that has been exceptionally well preserved. It is about 10 minutes walk from Yotsuya subway station, you can see people walking their dogs and others are exercising.
At dusk, when the sunlight shines on the building, it looks magnificent and almost golden. The palace has hosted many political leaders. What impressed me the most was the beautiful fountain in the garden.
The peaceful surroundings making it a perfect place to sit quietly and relax.
The guest house features classical architecture of various periods set on an expansive and manicured grounds. It’s not free and there are security screenings for entrance. Once in, there are interior self guided tours that feature rather magnificent state halls of various themes. Can’t touch anything, and you cannot photograph once you’re inside the building.
Beautiful architecture. Highly recommend checking online to make sure the main building is open before visiting. Diplomats and other world leaders may affect the opening schedule. No photos are allowed in the building, beautiful artwork inside, recommend looking up!
Beautiful garden, and the walk-through tour of the main building was well worth it to see the beautiful architecture. No photos allowed inside though!
We visited on a blistering summer day...the kind of day when even the statues look like they’re sweating. Unfortunately, the interior was off-limits due to a tour already in progress, which was a shame because that shade looked five-star.
Still, the palace grounds are spectacular. Think “French elegance meets Japanese precision,” with fountains so symmetrical they could make a geometry teacher cry. The gates gleam like they were polished by angels, and even the guard huts look like something out of a Wes Anderson movie.
Bonus points to the staff for setting up cooling tents — classy hospitality with a hint of survival. If you can, time your visit for when tours aren’t happening… or bring a parasol and pretend you’re royalty waiting for your carriage.
