The Imperial Palace and the gravel park
The vast court park, the old palace walls, a shrine for the pear tree, and the noble streets. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. Kyoto Gyoen, south gate
Enter the park (*Kyoto Gyoen*) from the Marutamachi end. The first thing to register is the scale — wide gravel avenues, pines, almost no traffic noise. Walk the central path north and let the city fall away behind you.

2. Sento Imperial Palace grounds
On your right, the walled enclosure of the retired-emperors' palace and its celebrated stroll garden. The garden is by guided tour only and books up; even the long earthen wall and its gate are worth the slow walk past.

3. Kyoto Imperial Palace (Gosho)
The main palace enclosure — free to enter now, no booking. Inside the white walls: the great ceremonial hall, the raked courtyards, the orange and cherry trees of the South Garden. Allow forty minutes; it's the heart of the walk.

4. Nashinoki Shrine
Step out the east side to *Nashinoki-jinja* (the pear-tree shrine), pressed against the park's edge. Famous for its sweet well-water, one of Kyoto's named springs; the *hagi* (bush clover) tunnels the approach in autumn.

5. Kaninomiya residence site
Back inside the park, the one surviving court-noble residence, its garden and pond restored. Two hundred such mansions once filled this ground before the capital moved to Tokyo; this is the only one left to walk into.

6. Imadegawa, the north gate
Leave by the north end onto the old aristocratic streets around Doshisha University. End at the Imadegawa subway entrance; or cross to the Kamo delta a few minutes east if the river walk tempts you.

The Imperial Palace and the gravel park