From State Guest House, Akasaka Palace to Suga-jinja Shrine in Yotsuya and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Visit the National Treasure palace at the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace, located about a 7-minute walk from Yotsuya Station. Walk northwest to Suga-jinja Shrine in the residential area of Yotsuya and climb the Otokozaka Slope, depicted in the film "Your Name.", to offer prayers. Finally, head west to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This route enters through the Okido Gate, tours the grounds, and exits through the Shinjuku Gate.

History and Regional Charm

Both the first and last locations of this course were constructed in Western styles for the Imperial Family at the end of the Meiji period. The State Guest House, Akasaka Palace was built in 1909 (Meiji 42) as the Togu Gosho (Crown Prince's Palace) for the Crown Prince, who later became Emperor Taisho; it is the only Neo-Baroque palace building in Japan. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was redesigned by Henri Martinet, who was a professor at the National Horticultural School of Versailles, and was completed as an imperial garden in 1906.

The history of the land dates back to the Edo period. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden began in 1590 when Tokugawa Ieyasu granted land around Shinjuku to his close aide Naito Kiyonari, which later became the shimoyashiki (suburban residence) of the daimyo Naito clan. Suga-jinja Shrine, located between the two, traces its origins to 1634, when an Inari shrine was moved from Hitotsugi Village in Akasaka to Yotsuya due to construction work on the outer moat of Edo Castle. Later, Gozu Tenno was enshrined together with the Inari deity, and the shrine became the tutelary guardian for the 18 towns of Yotsuya.

After the war, both sites took on new roles. Although Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was largely burned down during the 1945 air raids, it was opened to the public in 1949 as a national garden (kokumin koen). Akasaka Palace was transferred to the state and, following renovation work, reopened in 1974 as the State Guest House to welcome foreign dignitaries. In 2009, the main building and other structures were designated as the first National Treasures among modern architecture in Japan.

Major Highlights

• ​State Guest House, Akasaka Palace​​: A completely symmetrical palace built of stately granite. Its front facade, curving gently into an arc, is reminiscent of a phoenix spreading its wings, and 142 pine trees line the front courtyard. In the Kacho-no-Ma (Room of Flowers and Birds), mainly used for official banquets, 30 oval cloisonné panels depicting seasonal flowers and birds are displayed. In the Hagoromo-no-Ma, there is a ceiling painting portraying scenes from the Noh play "Hagoromo" and the largest chandelier in the palace.
• ​Suga-jinja Shrine​​: A shrine dedicated to the main deities Susanoo no Mikoto and Ukanomitama no Mikoto, an Inari deity. The Otokozaka Slope, the flight of stairs in front of the shrine, was depicted in the final scene of the 2016 film "Your Name.", where the two main characters reunite. Within the grounds, visitors can view replicas of the Thirty-six Immortals of Poetry paintings, a Tangible Cultural Property of Shinjuku Ward painted in 1836.
• ​Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden​​: A 58.3-hectare garden spanning Shinjuku and Shibuya Wards. It is known as one of Japan's leading modern Western gardens, combining a Formal Garden, a Landscape Garden, and a Japanese Traditional Garden. About 900 cherry blossom trees of roughly 70 species can be enjoyed from early to late spring, and visitors can also see the Former Western-style Rest House and the Kyu-Goryotei (Taiwan Pavilion), both of which survived the 1945 air raids.

Recommended Route and Duration

The estimated time required is about 5 hours. From JR and Tokyo Metro Yotsuya Station, it is about a 7-minute walk to the State Guest House. The visitor entrance is at the West Gate next to the Gakushuin Primary School; entry is not permitted from the Main Gate. A baggage inspection takes place before entry. Upon entering the main building, observe the checkerboard floor of white marble and black Gensho-seki slate, and look up at the paintings in the north and south arches of the central staircase. These paintings express the spirit of hospitality by welcoming ascending guests with the morning sun and seeing them off with the evening sun upon their departure.

From the State Guest House, it is about 820 meters northwest to Suga-jinja Shrine. The shrine stands in a residential area, and you can trace the film's scenes by climbing the Otokozaka Slope depicted in the movie from the bottom and praying at the haiden (worship hall) at the top. You can also enjoy the view from the top of the slope.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden extends about 1.2 kilometers west of Suga-jinja Shrine. Entering through the Okido Gate, the glass greenhouse comes into view first. In the Japanese Traditional Garden, you can view the scenery across the pond from the Kyu-Goryotei, with its red roof and upturned white eaves. Walk along while comparing the different garden styles: the rose beds and sycamore avenues of the Formal Garden, and the lawns with towering trees of the Landscape Garden. Exiting through the Shinjuku Gate, it is a 5-minute walk to Shinjuku-sanchome Station or Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station.

Experience Summary

A palace and a garden built for the Imperial Family at the end of the Meiji period. Between them lie the tutelary shrine of the 18 towns of Yotsuya and the stairs depicted in film. From the brilliant rooms of a National Treasure palace to a quiet slope in a residential district, and on to a garden of expansive lawns and groves of trees. Walk from Yotsuya to Shinjuku and experience the overlapping layers of Edo, Meiji, and contemporary Tokyo.