The is the main residence of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

. It is a large

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the

Chiyoda ward is a special ward located in central Tokyo, Japan. It is known as Chiyoda City in English.Profi ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where various ceremonies and receptions take place, some residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and administrative offices. It is built on the site of the old

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established ...

. The total area including the gardens is . During the height of the 1980s Japanese property bubble, the palace grounds were valued by some to be more than the value of all of the real estate in the U.S. state of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

History

Edo castle

After the capitulation of the

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

and the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, the inhabitants, including the Shōgun

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned of his position as shogun in late 1867, while aiming ...

, were required to vacate the premises of the

. Leaving the Kyoto Imperial Palace on 26 November 1868, the Emperor arrived at the Edo Castle, made it to his new residence and renamed it to . At this time, Tōkyō had also been called Tōkei. He left for Kyōto again, and after coming back on 9 May 1869, it was renamed to . Previous fires had destroyed the Honmaru area containing the old ''

donjon A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in ...

'' (which itself burned in the 1657 Meireki fire). On the night of 5 May 1873, a fire consumed the Nishinomaru Palace (formerly the shōgun's residence), and the new imperial was constructed on the site in 1888. The castle has many gardens. Kokyo Nijubashi 0010

A non-profit was founded in 2004 with the aim of a historically correct reconstruction of at least the main donjon. In March 2013, Naotaka Kotake, head of the group, said that "the capital city needs a symbolic building", and that the group planned to collect donations and signatures on a petition in support of rebuilding the tower. A reconstruction blueprint had been made based on old documents. 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 ...

at the time had not indicated whether it would support the project.

The Old palace

In the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, most structures from the Edo Castle disappeared. Some were cleared to make way for other buildings while others were destroyed by earthquakes and fire. For example, the wooden over the moat were replaced with stone and iron bridges. The buildings of the Imperial Palace constructed in the Meiji era were constructed of wood. Their design employed traditional

Japanese architecture has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors (''fusuma'') and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to ...

in their exterior appearance while the interiors were an eclectic mixture of fashionable Japanese and European elements. The ceilings of the grand chambers were coffered with Japanese elements; however, Western chairs, tables and heavy curtains furnished the spaces. The floors of the public rooms had parquets or carpets while the residential spaces used traditional ''

tatami A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...

'' mats. The main audience hall was the central part of the palace. It was the largest building in the compound. Guests were received there for public events. The floor space was more than 223

tsubo A ''pyeong'' (abbreviationpy) is a Korean unit of area and floorspace, equal to a square '' kan'' or 36square Korean feet. The ''ping'' and ''tsubo'' are its equivalent Taiwanese and Japanese units, similarly based on a square '' bu'' ( ja:步 ...

or approximately . In the interior, the coffered ceiling was traditional Japanese-style, while the floor was parquetry. The roof was styled similarly to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, but was covered with (fireproof) copper plates rather than

Japanese cypress ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and orname ...

shingles. In the late Taishō and early Shōwa period, more concrete buildings were added, such as the headquarters of the

Imperial Household Ministry 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 ...

and the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...

. These structures exhibited only token Japanese elements. From 1888 to 1948, the compound was called . On the night of 25 May 1945, most structures of the Imperial Palace were destroyed in the Allied firebombing raid on Tokyo. According to the US bomber pilot Richard Lineberger, Emperor's Palace was the target of their special mission on July 29, 1945, and was hit with 2000-pound bombs. In August 1945, in the closing days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Emperor Hirohito met with his Privy Council and made decisions culminating in the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Na ...

at an underground air-raid shelter on the palace grounds referred to as . Due to the large-scale destruction of the Meiji-era palace, a new and residences were constructed on the western portion of the site in the 1960s. The area was renamed in 1948, while the eastern part was renamed and became a public park in 1968. Interior images of the old Meiji-era palace File:Higashidamari-no-Ma of Meiji Palace.JPG, Higashidamari-no-Ma File:Chigusa-no-Ma of Meiji Palace.JPG, Chigusa-no-Ma File:Houmei-Den of Meiji Palace.JPG, Hōmei-Den File:Kiri-no-Ma of Meiji Palace.JPG, Kiri-no-Ma File:Nishidamari-no-Ma of Meiji Palace.JPG, Nishidamari-no-Ma File:Main Building of Meiji Palace.JPG, Throne hall

Present palace

The present Imperial Palace encompasses the retrenchments of the former Edo Castle. The modern designed for various imperial court functions and receptions is located in the old ''Nishinomaru'' section of the palace grounds. On a much more modest scale, the , the official residence of the Emperor and empress, is located in the Fukiage Garden. Designed by Japanese architect Shōzō Uchii the modern residence was completed in 1993. This residence is currently (July 2020) not in use and being prepared for Naruhito, who for the time being keeps his primary residence at the former Tōgū Palace, renamed while he resides there. Except for the

and the East Gardens, the main grounds of the palace are generally closed to the public, except for reserved guided tours from Tuesdays to Saturdays (which access only the Kyūden Totei Plaza in front of the Chowaden). Each

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...

(January 2) and

Emperor's Birthday is an annual Public holiday in Japan celebrating the birthday of the reigning Emperor, which is currently 23 February as Emperor Naruhito was born on that day in 1960. It is enforced by a specific law, "The Law for Special Exception of the Imper ...

, the public is permitted to enter through the Nakamon (inner gate) where they gather in the Kyūden Totei Plaza. The Imperial Family appears on the balcony before the crowd and the Emperor normally gives a short speech greeting and thanking the visitors and wishing them good health and blessings. Parts of the Fukiage garden are sometimes open to the general public. The old ''Honmaru'', ''Ninomaru'', and ''Sannomaru'' compounds now comprise the East Gardens, an area with public access containing administrative and other public buildings. The

Kitanomaru Park is a public park in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan located north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The park is the location of both the Nippon Budokan, an indoor sports and performance venue, the Science Museum, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. ...

is located to the north and is the former northern

enceinte Enceinte (from Latin incinctus: girdled, surrounded) is a French term that refers to the "main defensive enclosure of a fortification". For a castle, this is the main defensive line of wall towers and curtain walls enclosing the position. For ...

of Edo Castle. It is a

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...

and is the site of the

Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...

. To the south is Kokyo Gaien National Garden. Though much of the site is off limits to the public, there have been multiple instances of tourists attempting to trespass on the palace grounds by swimming in the moat. In 2008, a British tourist stripped naked, repeatedly dove into and swam across the moat in an attempt to avoid being arrested, and used stones and a plastic pole as weapons when faced by staff and local police officers. A similar incident took place in 2013, in which two drunken tourists decided to try to sneak into the palace building after removing their clothing and entering the water near

Sakurada Gate is a gate at Tokyo Imperial Palace, in Tokyo, Japan. It was the location of the Sakuradamon Incident in 1860. Opposite the gate of Sakurada Gate is the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, which shares "Sakurada Gate" as a ...

Grounds

Kyūden

Chowaden Reception Hall, Imperial Palace Tokyo, 2017

Map-of-the-Kyuden-Tokyo-Imperial-Palace-2019

The and the headquarters of the

are located in the former Nishinomaru enceinte (''West Citadel'') of the Edo Castle. The main buildings of the palace grounds, including the main palace, home of the liaison conference of the

Imperial General Headquarters The was part of the Supreme War Council and was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime. In terms of function, it was approximately equivalent to the United States ...

, were severely damaged by the fire of May 1945. Today's palace consists of multiple modern structures that are interconnected. The palace complex was finished in 1968 and was constructed of steel-framed

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low ultimate tensile strength, tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion ...

structures produced domestically, with two stories above ground and one story below. The buildings of the Imperial Palace were constructed by the

Takenaka Corporation is one of five major general contractors in Japan. Takenaka provides architectural, engineering, and construction services and has its headquarters located in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. Takenaka has eight domestic offices in Japan with ...

in a modernist style with clear Japanese architectural references such as the large, gabled hipped roof, columns and beams. The complex consists of six wings, including: * ''Seiden'' State Function Hall * ''Hōmeiden'' State Banquet Hall * Chōwaden Reception Hall * ''Rensui'' Dining Room * ''Chigusa Chidori'' Drawing Room and * The Emperor's work office Halls include the ''Minami-Damari'', ''Nami-no-Ma'', multiple corridors, ''Kita-Damari'', ''Shakkyō-no-Ma'', ''Shunju-no-Ma'', ''Seiden-Sugitoe (Kaede)'', ''Seiden-Sugitoe (Sakura)'', ''Take-no-Ma'', ''Ume-no-Ma'' and ''Matsu-no-Ma''. Famous ''

Nihonga ''Nihonga'' (, "Japanese-style paintings") are Japanese paintings from about 1900 onwards that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. While based on traditions over a thousand years ...

'' artists such as

Maeda Seison was the art-name of a nihonga painter in the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. His legal name was Maeda Renzō. He is considered one of the greatest contemporary Japanese painters, and one of the leaders of the Nihonga movement. Biography ...

were commissioned to paint the artworks. The Kyūden is used for both receiving state guests and holding official state ceremonies and functions. The Matsu-no-Ma (''Pine Chamber'') is the throne room. The Emperor gives audiences to the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

in this room, as well as appointing or dismissing ambassadors and Ministers of State. It is also the room where the Prime Minister and Chief Justice is appointed to office. Fukiage Garden photo D Ramey Logan

Fukiage Garden

The Fukiage Garden has carried the name since the Edo period and is used as the residential area for the Imperial Family. The , achieved in 1993, was used as the primary residence of

Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. B ...

from December 8, 1993, to March 2020. After a period of refurbishment,

Naruhito is the current Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession ...

Masako Masako (written: , , or in hiragana) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * *, (1888–1940), 6th daughter of Emperor Meiji *, Japanese long-distance runner * Masako Ebisu (born 1945), Japanese voice actress * ...

and Aiko moved in in September 2021. The in the northern section was originally the residence of Emperor Showa and Empress Kōjun and was called the ''Fukiage Palace''. After the Emperor's death in 1989, the palace was renamed the ''Fukiage Ōmiya Palace'' and was the residence of the Empress Dowager until her death in 2000. It is currently not in use. The palace precincts include the . Parts of the

Imperial Regalia of Japan The are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword , the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary virtues: valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).

are kept here and the sanctuary plays a religious role in imperial enthronements and weddings.

East Gardens

The East Gardens is where most of the administrative buildings for the palace are located and encompasses the former Honmaru and Ninomaru areas of Edo Castle, a total of . Located on the grounds of the East Gardens is the Imperial ''Tokagakudo'' Music Hall, the Music Department of the Board of Ceremonies of the Imperial Household, the Archives and Mausolea Department Imperial Household Agency, structures for the guards such as the ''Saineikan''

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

, and the Museum of the Imperial Collections. Several structures that were added since the Meiji period were removed over time to allow construction of the East Garden. In 1932, the ''kuretake-ryō'' was built as a dormitory for imperial princesses, however this building was removed prior to the construction of the present gardens. Other buildings such as stables and housing were removed to create the East Garden in its present configuration. Construction work began in 1961 with a new pond in the Ninomaru, as well as the repair and restoration of various keeps and structures from the Edo period. On 30 May 1963, the area was declared by the Japanese government a "Special Historic Relic" under the Cultural Properties Protection Law.

Tōkagakudō (Music Hall)

The is located to the east of the former main donjon of Edo Castle in the Honmaru. This music hall was built in commemoration of the 60th birthday of Empress Kōjun on 6 March 1963. The ferro-concrete building covers a total area of . The hall is octagon-shaped and each of its eight outer walls is decorated with differently designed mosaic tiles. Construction began in August 1964 and was completed in February 1966.

Ninomaru Garden

Symbolic trees representing each prefecture in Japan are planted in the northwestern corner of Ninomaru enceinte. Such trees have been donated from each prefecture and there are total of 260, covering 30 varieties. The small Ninomaru Garden at the foot of the castle hill was originally planted in 1636 by

Kobori Enshu Kobori (written: 小堀) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese artist and aristocrat *, Japanese tennis player *, Japanese ice hockey player *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese voice actress *, ...

, a famed landscape artist and garden designer, but it was destroyed by fire in 1867. The current layout was created in 1968, based on a plan drawn up during the reign of ninth shogun, Tokugawa Ieshige. Suwano-chaya Tea House photo D Ramey Logan

Suwa no Chaya

The is a

teahouse A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whi ...

that was located in the Fukiage Garden during the Edo period. It moved to the

Akasaka Palace , or the , is one of the two state guest houses of the Government of Japan. The other state guesthouse is the Kyoto State Guest House. The palace was originally built as the in 1909. Today the palace is designated by the Government of Japan a ...

after the Meiji restoration, but was reconstructed in its original location in 1912. It was moved to its present location during the construction of the East Garden.

Kitanomaru

The

is located to the north and is the former northern

of Edo Castle. It is a

and is the site of Nippon Budokan Hall. This garden contains a bronze monument to .

Kōkyo-gaien

To the south-east are the large outer gardens of the Imperial Palace, which are also a public park and contain bronze monuments to and to .

Gallery

File:Imperial_Palace_Tokyo_Central_View.JPG, View of the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Household Agency. File:Ote-mon gate Edo Castle Tokyo Japan by Don Ramey Logan.jpg, Ote-mon gate and main entrance to the "East Garden" File:桜田巽櫓.jpg, Imperial Palace moat and guard tower File:Imperial palace front entrance field.jpg, Imperial Palace front entrance field with Chiyoda office buildings in the background File:Imperial Household Agency.jpg, Building of the

on the grounds of the Imperial Palace File:Kokyo0097.jpg, Suwa no chaya teahouse in the Ninomaru Garden File:Saineikan at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.JPG, Saineikan dōjō for the guards File:Imperial Palace Tokyo Former Privy council.JPG, Building of the former Privy Council in the East Garden area, one of the few buildings from the pre-war Showa period File:Imperial Palace Tokyo Ambassador on Kyuden Totei Plaza.JPG, New ambassadors arrive at the palace to hand in their accreditation to the Emperor to be picked up from Tokyo Station either in a limousine or the carriage. File:Music Department of the Board of Ceremonies of the Imperial Household Agency.JPG, Music Department of the Board of Ceremonies File:Sannomaru Shozokan 190928a.jpg, Museum of the Imperial Collections File:Archives and Mausolea Department 191009a.jpg, Archives and Mausolea Department File:皇居下道灌濠.JPG, The moat of the Imperial Palace in spring File:East Garden Edo Castle Tokyo photo D Ramey Logan.jpg, Public walkway, Edo East Garden File:The Moat of The Imperial Palace.JPG, Moat of the Imperial Palace File:President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the Imperial Palace (47958716021).jpg, Meeting between Emperor

and former U.S. President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

with First Lady Melania and

Empress Masako is as the consort of Emperor Naruhito, who ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. Masako, who was educated at Harvard and Oxford, had a prior career as a diplomat. Early life and education was born on 9 December 1963 at Toranomon ...

. File:皇居・桔梗門.jpg, One of the entrances for supporting staff buildings File:Fujimi-yagura 1 by D Ramey Logan.jpg, Fujimi-yagura (Mt Fuji-view keep), guard building within the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace File:Imperial Palace East Garden Panorama by D Ramey Logan.jpg, Pond in the East Garden at the Imperial Palace File:東京都御幸通り騎馬隊.jpg, alt=A Mounted Police around of the Empial palace., Mounted Imperial Police around the Imperial Palace

References

External links

Imperial Household Agency , Imperial Palace in Tokyo
{{Authority control Palaces in Tokyo Gardens in Tokyo Rebuilt buildings and structures in Japan Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II