TOKYO IMPERIAL PALACE

Description

Essentials about the Tokyo Imperial Palace in brief

Right in the center of the Japanese capital is the Tokyo Imperial Palace, the residence of the Tennō, the Japanese emperor. Built on the site of the former Edo Castle, the Imperial Palace is a park-like residence that houses the main administrative and private buildings of the imperial family. Only part of the grounds are freely accessible. Those who wish to see more of the Imperial Palace can do so on a guided tour.

The history of the Tokyo Imperial Palace

After the Shōguns were deposed in 1868, the imperial court was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. The emperor made the city’s castle, which had then been the residence of the Tokugawa Shōguns, his permanent residence a year later and renamed it Kōjō (Imperial Castle). On May 5, 1873, the residence burned down. It took 15 years to complete the new residence on the same site in the Japanese-Western mixed style. The palace was given its present name only in 1948. During World War II, many of the buildings on the palace grounds were destroyed by bombs and rebuilt in modern style until 1968.

The buildings and functions of the Tokyo Imperial Palace

The main buildings of the Imperial Palace were severely damaged during World War II and rebuilt after the war in a modernized and interconnected form. The palace complex now consists of six wings, namely Seiden (State Event Hall), Hōmeiden (State Banquet Hall), Chōwaden (Reception Hall), Rensui (Dining Hall), Chigusa Chidori (Salon), Drawing Room and the Emperor’s Office.

The palace is used for state receptions of foreign guests as well as for state ceremonies. The Japanese emperor receives the prime minister here and appoints or dismisses the country’s ambassadors.

The Kyūchū sanden

In the palace are the Kyūchū sanden, the “three shrines in the palace,” which serve as the personal Shintō shrines of the emperor and his family. These are: The Kashiko-dokoro (Place of Awe), which contains a replica of the Yata no Kagami mirror from the time of the mythological Emperor Sujin (1st/2nd century BCE), one of the three insignia of the throne of Japan. The Kōrei-den (Hall of Imperial Ancestral Souls), where the ancestors of the emperor and the imperial family are venerated. And the Shinden (Hall of the Gods), where the Tenjinchigi, the deities of heaven and earth, are worshipped.

Visiting the Tokyo Imperial Palace

The palace is guarded by the so-called “Imperial Palace Police”. With the exception of the Imperial Court Office and the East Gardens, most of the palace grounds are usually open to the public only on guided tours. However, on the emperor’s birthday (February 23) and on New Year’s Day (January 2), the inner palace grounds are accessible without a tour. Then a crowd gathers in Kyuden Totei Plaza in front of the Chowaden Hall. The imperial family shows itself to the crowd on a balcony and usually the emperor addresses the visitors in a short speech, thanking them for their visit and wishing them health and blessings.

Those who decide to join a guided tour should know in advance that no buildings are visited from the inside. Tours last about 75 minutes and are offered in English and Japanese. Those who want to be on the safe side should pre-order tickets at the Imperial Court Office. On-site purchase of tickets is also possible at the Kikyomon Gate on the day of the tour. However, tickets are often sold out in advance.

In addition, visitors to the Tokyo Imperial Palace should not get the wrong idea about the palace complex. Unlike most European imperial and royal residences, such as Versailles Palace near Paris, Buckingham Palace in London or Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, there are no columns, marble or gold awaiting you at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The elongated building of the reception hall made of concrete and steel looks more like a simple state function building than the magnificent residence of the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy.

The East Gardens

Those who want to stretch their legs a bit in the green before the palace should visit the East Gardens. Separated by moats from the palace grounds proper, the park is about 210 hectares in size. Here are many of the administrative buildings of the Imperial Palace, as well as the Imperial Music Hall and the Museum of the Imperial Collections, where you can see beautiful household items of the imperial family.