Application Guidelines for Tours of Visiting
Kyoto Imperial Palace (Free of Charge)

Individuals wishing to visit Kyoto Imperial Palace should apply for permission in accordance with the following guidelines (Separate application guidelines apply to visits to Sento Imperial Palace, Katsura Imperial Villa and Shugakuin Imperial Villa. Japanese citizens must use a different application process.):

1. Qualification


Anyone 18 years of age or older

Minors under 18 years old accompanied by an adult (20 years old or above)

2. Date and Time of the Tour

Tours are conducted in English at the following times: 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
(Tours on Saturday are conducted only in Japanese)
The tours will take approximately 1 hour.

The tours are not organized on the following days:
(1) Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays, with the following exceptions:
• Tours are available on Saturdays in March, April, May, October and November (including Saturdays that are also holidays).
• Tours are available on the third Saturday of each month (even if that day is also a holiday).
(2) From December 28 to January 4 of new year
(3) Any day when Imperial Court functions are scheduled or other unavoidable circumstances occur.

3. Applications

To join the tour, please choose one of the following ways for application.
In case of full booking, your application will not be accepted.
(1) Applying in person

(a) Groups of nine or less
[Period to receive your application]
From the first day of three months before the tour date up to 20 minutes before the tour time.

Please bring your passport or Alien Registration Card to the counter in the Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office.
For same-day applications, only one Japanese individual is permitted as an interpreter (this individual counts toward the group limit of nine).

(b) Groups of 10 or more
[Period to receive your application]
From the first day of three months before the tour date up to one day before the tour date.
Please bring the members' list (see below) and the group representative's passport or Alien Registration Card to the counter in the Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office.
* Members' list (paper size is not important)
Required information: name (first/family), passport number, age, gender, and nationality

[Hours]
The office is open from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays (closed on Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, and days from December 29 to January 3).

(2) Applying by Internet
Website address: http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english
Visit our above-mentioned website and fill in the required information. Upon completion of the application, you will receive a permit for visit. If your group includes visitors under 18 years of age, an adult visitor should apply.
[Period to receive your application]
From 5:00 a.m. on the first day of three months before the tour date up to four days before the tour date.
*Due to maintenance of our server, page for the application is unavailable from 0:00 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. daily.

4. Others

(1) Applications through a travel agent or related industries are not accepted.
(2) Once an application has been accepted, no changes can be made.
(3) Tour time, frequency and tour routes are subject to change or cancellation due to Imperial Court functions or other unavoidable circumstances.
(4) Further information is available from the office below-mentioned.

Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office
3 Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8611 JAPAN
TEL: +81-75-211-1215