Stand in the East Court as the Imperial Family Steps onto the Balcony
You arrive at the Imperial Palace Plaza before nine, and the queue is already folding back on itself—thousands of people holding small Japanese flags, the gravel of the Totei crunching underfoot, the low murmur of a crowd that has come to see the Emperor. This is the heart of Emperor's Birthday (Tennō Tanjōbi) in Tokyo, observed on 23 February, the birth date of Emperor Naruhito, who was born on 23 February 1960 and ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019. In 2027 the holiday falls on Tuesday, 23 February. Government offices, schools and many businesses close, and the city's attention turns to the palace.
The public visit runs on the morning of 23 February. The Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino, Princess Aiko, Princess Kako of Akishino and Prince Hisahito appear at the Chowa-Den Hall balcony overlooking the East Court three times—around 10:20, 11:00 and 11:40 a.m.—and the Emperor gives a brief address. Sign language interpretation of the address is provided. Plan your morning around this:
- Enter through the Main Gate (Nijubashi) between 9:30 and 11:20 a.m. Allow well over an hour to reach the gate from the Imperial Palace Plaza; there is baggage inspection at the gates, and you may be redirected to the afternoon greeting-book signing if capacity is reached.
- Choose one appearance and move on. Visitors are asked not to stay for more than one balcony appearance, which keeps the courtyard turning over for those behind you.
- Sign the greeting book in front of the Imperial Household office building between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., writing your full name and your country. Afternoon entry is via Sakashita-mon, and exit gates close at 4:00 p.m.
- Exit through the East Gardens if you like—they are closed as a destination on the day, but departing visitors may walk through them to leave via Ote-mon, Hirakawa-mon or Kitahanebashi-mon.
Dress for gravel and slopes: leave the high heels at the hotel. Animals other than guide dogs, drones, flagpoles, large luggage, sharp objects, alcohol, tripods and selfie-sticks are not permitted, and there is no parking on site—take public transport. No rental wheelchairs are available, so bring your own; designated wheelchair spaces are set out in the East Court. If you have a cough or fever, stay away. Heavy snow or bad weather can cancel the appearance.
Trace the Holiday's Long History Before You Arrive
Knowing what you are watching sharpens the morning. The holiday was instituted as a national holiday by the government in 1886 and was formerly called Tenchōsetsu, a name conveying wishes for an eternal reign. It was renamed Tennō Tanjōbi once the emperor became a constitutional and symbolic figure, and the date shifts with each new emperor's birth date—which is why it sits in February under Naruhito. The imperial line is traditionally dated to 660 B.C. with Emperor Jimmu, mythologically descended from Amaterasu; Naruhito is the 126th emperor, and the dynasty is described as the world's oldest hereditary monarchy, spanning more than 1,500 years. The emperor holds no political power, serving ceremonial and symbolic functions as head of state, and the throne takes its name—the Chrysanthemum Throne—from the imperial flower. Standing in the East Court with a flag in your hand, you are taking part in a ceremony with a very long memory.
Build the Rest of the Day Around the Palace District
The sources give no official 2027 event programme, markets, concerts or parades for the holiday, so treat the balcony visit and greeting book as your fixed points and let the neighbourhood fill the rest. The palace sits within walking distance of Marunouchi, where the Imperial Hotel Tokyo and Palace Hotel Tokyo face the moat—both are noted for hotel dining, a sensible base for a holiday lunch once the gates close at 4:00 p.m. Because the East Gardens are shut on 23 February itself, plan any garden wandering for another day of your trip, when you can enter them properly rather than passing through on an exit route. Government offices and many businesses are closed, so the streets around the palace will be given over to pedestrians and ceremony rather than commuters—an unusually quiet version of the district.
Practical Timing for a February Morning
- Date: Tuesday, 23 February 2027.
- Balcony appearances: approximately 10:20, 11:00 and 11:40 a.m.
- Morning entry: Main Gate (Nijubashi), 9:30–11:20 a.m.
- Greeting book: 12:30–3:30 p.m., in front of the Imperial Household office building.
- Afternoon entry: Sakashita-mon; exit gates close at 4:00 p.m.
- Exit gates: Sakashita-mon, Kikyo-mon, Ote-mon, Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon—never enter through an exit-only gate.
February in Tokyo is cold, and the courtyard is gravel and slope; wear shoes you can stand in for hours and bring layers. Arrive early, expect the queue from the plaza to the gate to take over an hour, and keep your bag small enough to clear inspection quickly.
Make It a Palace-Centred Trip
Book your accommodation near the palace district so the morning is a short walk rather than a commute, check the Imperial Household Agency's pages as the date approaches for confirmation of arrangements, and keep the afternoon free for a slow lunch in Marunouchi once you have signed the greeting book and walked out through the East Gardens. The holiday is a single, concentrated morning of ceremony—plan your Tokyo days around it, and let 23 February 2027 be the fixed point the rest of the itinerary orbits.