Lovely course especially after being stuck one full day inside hotel due to nearby typhoon. Uncrowded in mid-morning. Fun to see mainly local runners. Walked over from hotel in Ginza. Multiple entry/exit gates to Imperial Palace grounds. Favorite and little used was Hirakawamon Gate near Symbolic Prefectural Trees (47 trees each with a label). Will definitely return on next visit.

At first I wasn't crazy about the loop but it's actually a fun run. You get to see a lot as you run by, there's no signal lights to stop you, the grounds keepers are excellent and very considerate and the scenery of the palace is really beautiful! I didn't realize how much I enjoyed running around here till after the fact. It is quite a beautiful run. Usually I'm not crazy about loops but this a loop that doesn't feel repetitive at all. Its a 3 mile loop which always feels like a refreshing 3 mile loop. The two big cons I would say are this: 1) It can get really crowded with people, especially during the afternoon. 2) If you're an experienced runner, the challenge probably won't be too much for you. There's no tough terrain or steep inclines or any other tough obstacles to get around. Its a rather very straight forward loop. So to avoid crowds, either come here really early in the morning before the palace opens and when most visitors/tourist are still getting up and getting themselves together. Or either come here later at night when the palace closes, so that way you have much less people in the way. And even if you're an experienced runner, I think you would still have a very good time running the loop. Especially if you're visiting Tokyo and want to get a nice run in. Regardless, all fitness fanatics, come visit!