Going to Tokyo for a few days in September (went there for the first time at the end of last year) and this time, I am interested in the tours at the National Diet Building and at the Imperial Palace. Are there any special procedures to go on these tours for non-Japanese citizens? I read somewhere that the visitor would have to go to the Imperial House Agency the day before the tour and show them the passport; is that still true? Also, is there advanced reservation available for individual visitors for the National Diet Building tour?

Saving me some typing here is the online site with all the information you are asking for about the Imperial Palace and its visitations.

http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/

http://www.sangiin.go.jp/eng/info/dbt/index.htm

Aloha!

Since the links do not mention anything specific about special procedures for foreigners, I am assuming that it is also true according to your actual experience taking those tours?

Just went to both places today. Even though both required an "application" for the tour, neither asked to show passport.

Thanks for reporting back.

Would you recommend these visits?

Yes, please tell us a bit about your visit.

I went on the first tour of the day (10AM) to see the Imperial Palace. I got there an hour ahead and waited at the gate. Soon bus loads of elderly Japanese arrived. Probably about 200 people on the tour. Quite a few of foreign tourists took the tour also, with English audio guide. They let us into the waiting area at about 9:30, which was great because it had air conditioning. I thought the tour was intersting. I also walked around the East Garden afterwards, but it was hot and I probably didn't enjoy it as much as I would've been if I had gone later in the year.

There were about 30 people on the National Diet Building tour. There was no need to apply for tour like with the Imperial Palace, but I got to the National Diet Building at 13:00 and there was no line. Again they let visitors wait indoors, then about 20 minutes before the tour was scheduled to start, they took us to an exhibit room that has a few interesting things to look at and take photographs of (no photos allowed during the actual tour), and the tour actually started 3 minutes ahead of schedule. This tour is entirely in Japanese and I was the only person in the group who did not speak Japanese, but the English pamphlet does help some. Nevertheless I enjoyed the tour and got to see the House of Councillors chambers that I sometimes see on international news.

I thought that one was only able to visit the Imperial Palace itself on a couple of days out of the year? In fact, I'm almost certain that's stated in the current Fodor's guide to Japan. Am I missing something?

Are you thinking about when the public can see the emperor at the imperial palace (New Year greeting and on his birthday)?