Cafe planned for Imperial Palace

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:59 JST, May 14, 2022

Plans to open a cafe on the grounds of the Imperial Palace are underway, the Imperial Household Agency has announced. Currently, there are no such public facilities at the palace.

A cafe and other facilities will be constructed in the palace’s East Gardens, where the main compound of Edo Castle was located.

The agency plans to start construction in fiscal 2024 and open the facilities by March 2026, aiming to create a space where visitors can relax while enjoying the natural beauty of the palace.

The facilities are expected to be about 3,000 square meters and will include a cafe, shop and roof terrace for visitors to enjoy views of the surrounding area. There will also be a section with information about the history of the Imperial Palace and the activities of Imperial family members.

The agency has allocated about ¥240 million in the current fiscal year’s budget for design and other expenses.

The East Gardens are open to the public free of charge.

The government is currently carrying out work to expand the gardens’ Museum of the Imperial Collections, which is expected to be reopened fully in fiscal 2026