The New Year Greeting (Shinnen Ippan Sanga) is one of the few days each year when the public can go inside the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and see the Imperial Family in person.
On January 2, the Emperor, Empress, and other Imperial Family members step onto the Chowaden Hall balcony to greet the public.
You don't need a ticket, a reservation, or an entry fee; you simply show up. That open-door setup is also the catch.
Tens of thousands of people head for the same gate. If you arrive without knowing which entrance to use or which appearance you want to see, you can lose half a day in the crowd.
Here's the usual schedule, the right gate, the security check, how to get there, and what to wear. Everything here comes from Imperial Household Agency announcements.
Planning to fit a shrine visit into the same morning? Our guide to hatsumode: New Year shrine and temple visits in Tokyo covers the least crowded hours, all-night trains, and etiquette.
The New Year Greeting is free and needs no reservation; just show up on January 2. Enter through the Main Gate to watch the Imperial Family on the balcony. The 2027 appearance times are usually announced in December.
What the Greeting Is | 2027 Dates and Status
The New Year Greeting is an Imperial event held on January 2 each year. The Emperor, Empress, and other Imperial Family members appear on the Chowaden Hall balcony and acknowledge the crowd's good wishes.
A separate general audience takes place on the Emperor's Birthday (February 23), but that one uses a different entry system.
The date is set: the Greeting takes place on January 2. What hasn't been published yet, as of October 2026, are the 2027 (Reiwa 9) appearance times, which the Imperial Household Agency usually releases in December. We'll update the exact times once they're confirmed.
The event can be called off in rough weather. The Agency's guidelines say it may be canceled because of heavy snow or storms.
It has also been canceled in years with major disasters. In 2024, that happened after the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck the day before.
Five Appearances a Day | The Usual Schedule
In the most recent year, 2026 (Reiwa 8), the Emperor and Empress made five balcony appearances: three in the morning and two in the afternoon. The entry window ran from 9:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.
- 1st appearance: around 10:10 a.m.
- 2nd appearance: around 11:00 a.m.
- 3rd appearance: around 11:50 a.m.
- 4th appearance: around 1:30 p.m.
- 5th appearance: around 2:20 p.m.
There is no booking for individual appearances. You enter through the Main Gate during the window and wait for the next one. To catch the first appearance (around 10:10 a.m.), aim to be near the Main Gate when entry opens at 9:30 a.m.
Watch one timing trap: entry closes at 2:10 p.m., but the final appearance is around 2:20 p.m. Even if the last slot is your target, you have to be inside before 2:10.
These are the 2026 times, and we'll refresh them once the 2027 schedule is out. Which Imperial Family members appear varies from year to year.
Which Gate to Enter | Main Gate at Nijubashi
The easiest thing to get wrong is the entrance. You can only enter through the Imperial Palace Main Gate (Seimon), crossing the stone bridge in front of it toward the East Plaza.
That stone bridge is Seimon Ishibashi. The famous Nijubashi is actually the iron bridge just behind it, and the nearest station, Nijubashimae, is named after it.
Visitors leave through one of four other gates: Sakashita-mon, Kikyo-mon, Ote-mon, or Inui-mon. Don't head to any of those to get in.
Security Check | What You Cannot Bring
There is a bag check at the entrance, and the line slows down when it's busy, so leave yourself some extra time. Here's what you can't bring in:
- Animals (except service dogs)
- Flagpoles, drones, and dangerous objects
- Knives and scissors
Tripod photography, drinking, and smoking aren't allowed on the grounds either. Large bags and suitcases are best left in a station coin locker before you head over.
Getting There | Nearest Stations and Parking
The closest stations are Tokyo, Nijubashimae (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line), Otemachi, Sakuradamon, and Hibiya. Tokyo's official guide lists about an 11-minute walk from Nijubashimae, though crowds on the day can push that past 30 minutes from any station.
There is no visitor parking at the palace, so most people come by public transit. The Kusunoki parking lot in the outer garden sometimes changes its entrances on the day, so follow on-site signs if you do have to drive.
The New Year holiday is peak season for hotels in central Tokyo. If you're traveling in from elsewhere, it pays to lock in a room early.
Check hotel availability and rates in Tokyo
Cold and Crowds | What to Wear and When to Arrive
Typical January temperatures in Tokyo reach about 9.8°C (50°F) during the day and drop to around 1.2°C (34°F) in the morning (Japan Meteorological Agency normals).
Since you'll be waiting outside before the gates open, a heavy coat, gloves, and a disposable hand warmer are worth packing.
Recent turnouts have been big, with around 60,000 people in both 2025 and 2026, according to press reports. The Imperial Household Agency asks visitors not to line up around the outer garden the night before or in the early morning hours.
Don't count on saving a spot overnight; head to the palace early that morning instead.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.