250 px, ”Tenno Beach” near the Suzaki Imperial Villa , located in the Suzaki neighborhood of Shimoda city,

Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

is a residence owned by the

Japanese Imperial Family The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor i ...

, and used on infrequent intervals as an informal summer retreat.

History

The Imperial Family of Japan previously had residences in several locations within Shizuoka Prefecture: * , located in the city of

Atami is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Atami is located in the far ea ...

was built in 1888 by

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

. The modern-day Atami city hall is located on its former site. * , located in

Aoi-ku, Shizuoka is one of three wards of the city of Shizuoka in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, located in the northern part of the city. Aoi-ku borders Suruga-ku in the south and Shimizu-ku to the southeast; the west faces Shimada, Fujieda and Kawanehon an ...

was built by Emperor Meiji in 1900 and turned over to the Shizuoka city government in 1930. It was destroyed in the

bombing of Shizuoka in World War II The on June 19, 1945, was part of the strategic bombing campaign waged by the United States against military and civilian targets and population centers during the Japan home islands campaign in the closing stages of World War II. Background Al ...

. * , located in

Numazu is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,486 in 91,986 households, and a population density of 1,014 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Numazu is at the nor ...

was built by Emperor Meiji in 1893, and was a favorite residence of his son, Crown Prince Yoshihito, the future

Emperor Taishō was the 123rd Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the second ruler of the Empire of Japan from 30 July 1912 until his death in 1926. The Emperor's personal name was . According to Japanese custom, while reigni ...

. It was partially burned down during the

bombing of Numazu in World War II The was part of the strategic bombing campaign waged by the United States against military and civilian targets and population centers during the Japan home islands campaign in the closing stages of World War II. Background Although the city of ...

. It was turned over to the Numazu city government in 1969 and has been open as a public park since 1970. The Suzaki Imperial Villa was acquired by the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

after the Numazu Imperial Villa was given to the city of Numazu. It is located on the west bank of

Sagami Bay lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshu, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the ...

at the southern tip of

Izu Peninsula The is a large mountainous peninsula with a deeply indented coastline to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshu, Japan. Formerly known as Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture. The peninsul ...

near where the waters of the bay mix with the

Kuroshio Current The , also known as the Black or or the is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...

offshore. The Villa was the location of a

marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies s ...

laboratory managed by

Emperor Shōwa Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

, who used to visit it for some ten days in spring, summer and winter, and complemented the similar laboratory he operated at the

Hayama Imperial Villa , located in the town of Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan is a residence owned by the Japanese Imperial Family, and used on infrequent intervals as an informal winter retreat. History The Imperial Family of Japan previously had residences in se ...

on the opposite side of the bay. Research from the laboratory has resulted in a number of technical monographs. The villa building itself is a one-story building of western architectural design and dates to 1971. The adjacent private beach is informally known as Tenno Beach, or Emperor Beach. The bay is not deep, providing safety for the Emperor's family. The beach is surrounded by beautiful rock formations, which further limits public access.

References

* Corner, E. J. H. ''His Majesty Emperor Hirohito of Japan, K. G. 29 April 1901-7 January 1989'', Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, Vol. 36, (Dec., 1990), pp. 243–272 * Kitayama Taiju. ''Brown Algae from the Suzaki Imperial Villa, Suzaki, Shimoda, Japan'', Memoirs of the National Science Museum VOL.;NO.40;PAGE.7-21(2006) Journal Code:G0688A

External links

Imperial Household Agency , Suzaki Imperial Villa
Imperial residences in Japan Buildings and structures in Shizuoka Prefecture Shimoda, Shizuoka {{japan-struct-stub ja:須崎御用邸