Formerly the Edo castle. It is surrounded by the innermost moat. Nice gates and old guard towers are set at intervals around the site. A fine rain was falling on the day we visited the Imperial Palace, however the absence of sunshine did not take away a clear sight of the elegant Nijubashi or Doubled Bridge which is occasionally open to the public. The Japanese Imperial Family dates back many centuries. It is the oldest unbroken dynasty in the world. The present Emperor Akihito and his wife, Michiko, have three children; they all live in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.