| Imperial Palace | |
|---|---|
皇居 | |
 Seimon Ishibashi bridge, which leads to the main gate of the Imperial Palace | |
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| Former names | Edo Castle |
| General information | |
| Classification | ImperialPalace, theImperial Household Agency,Three Palace Sanctuaries such as theimperial family housing area of related facilities |
| Location | 1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku 100-0001 Tokyo,Tokyo,Japan |
| Coordinates | 35°40′57″N139°45′10″E / 35.6824°N 139.7527°E /35.6824; 139.7527 |
| Grounds | Circa 1.15 km2 (0.44 mi2) (Imperial Household Agency management part)[1] Circa 2.30 km2 (0.89 mi2) (total area, includingKokyo Gaien National Garden)[citation needed] |
TheImperial Palace (皇居,Kōkyo;lit. 'Imperial Residence') is the main residence of theemperor of Japan. It is a largepark-like area located in theChiyoda district of theChiyoda ward ofTokyo and contains several buildings, including theFukiage Palace (吹上御所,Fukiage gosho), where the emperor has his living quarters; the main palace (宮殿,Kyūden), where various ceremonies and receptions take place; some residences of theImperial Family; an archive; and museums and administrative offices.
The 1.15-square-kilometer (0.44 sq mi) palace grounds and gardens are built on the site of the oldEdo Castle.[1]
After the capitulation of theshogunate and theMeiji Restoration, the inhabitants, including the ShōgunTokugawa Yoshinobu, were required to vacate the premises of theEdo Castle. Leaving theKyoto Imperial Palace on November 26, 1868, the Emperor arrived at the Edo Castle, made it to his new residence and renamed it to Tōkei Castle (東京城,Tōkei-jō). At this time, Tōkyō had also been called Tōkei. He left for Kyōto again, and after coming back on May 9, 1869, it was renamed to Imperial Castle (皇城,Kōjō).[2][user-generated source]
Previous fires had destroyed the Honmaru area containing the olddonjon (which itself burned in the1657 Meireki fire). On the night of May 5, 1873, a fire consumed the Nishinomaru Palace (formerly the shōgun's residence), and the new imperial Palace Castle (宮城,Kyūjō) was constructed on the site in 1888. The castle has many gardens.
A non-profit "Rebuilding Edo-jo Association" (NPO法人 江戸城再建) 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. TheImperial Household Agency at the time has not indicated whether it would support the project.[3][4]
In theMeiji period, 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 double bridges (二重橋,Nijūbashi) 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 traditionalJapanese architecture 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 hadparquets or carpets, while the residential spaces used traditionaltatami 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 223tsubo or approximately 737.25 m2 (7,935.7 sq ft). 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 thanJapanese cypress shingles.
In the late Taishō and early Shōwa period, more concrete buildings were added, such as the headquarters of theImperial Household Ministry and thePrivy Council. These structures exhibited only token Japanese elements.
From 1888 to 1948, the compound was called Palace Castle (宮城,Kyūjō). On the night of May 25, 1945, most structures of the Imperial Palace were destroyed in theAllied firebombing raid on Tokyo. According to the US bomber pilot Richard Lineberger, the Emperor's Palace was the target of theirspecial mission on July 29, 1945, and was hit with 2000-pound bombs.[5] In August 1945, in the closing days of the Pacific War, emperorHirohito met with his Privy Council and made decisions culminating in thesurrender of Japan at an underground air-raid shelter on the palace grounds referred to as His Majesty's Library (御文庫附属室,Obunko Fuzokushitsu).[6]
Due to the large-scale destruction of the Meiji-era palace, a new main palace hall (宮殿,Kyūden) and residences were constructed on the western portion of the site in 1964–1968, designed by architectJunzō Yoshimura. The area was renamed Imperial Residence (皇居,Kōkyo) in 1948, while the eastern part was renamed East Garden (東御苑,Higashi-Gyoen) and became a public park in 1968.
Interior images of the Meiji-era palace
The present Imperial Palace encompasses the retrenchments of the former Edo Castle. The modernKyūden (宮殿) designed for various imperial court functions and receptions is located in the oldNishinomaru section of the palace grounds. Thekyūden was completed in 1968 and put into use in April 1969. It was built with the traditional Japanese architectural beauty of a large roof and columns and beams, and most of its building materials are of domestic origin. It has a total area of 24,175 square meters and consists of seven wings.[7] On a much more modest scale, theFukiage Palace (吹上御所,Fukiage gosho), the official residence of the Emperor and empress, is located in the Fukiage Garden. Designed by Japanese architectShōzō Uchii the modern residence was completed in 1993.[8] The residence is currently in use by Emperor Naruhito.
Except for theImperial Household Agency 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). EachNew Year (January 2) andEmperor's Birthday (February 23), 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 oldHonmaru,Ninomaru, andSannomaru compounds now comprise the East Gardens, an area with public access containing administrative and other public buildings.
TheKitanomaru Park is located to the north and is the former northernenceinte of Edo Castle. It is apublic park and is the site of theNippon Budokan. To the south isKokyo 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.[9] 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 nearSakurada Gate.[10]
The Imperial Palace (宮殿,Kyūden) and the headquarters of theImperial Household Agency are located in the former Nishinomaru enceinte (West Citadel) of the Edo Castle.[11]
The main buildings of the palace grounds, including the Kyūden (宮殿) main palace, home of the liaison conference of theImperial General Headquarters, 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-framedreinforced concrete structures produced domestically, with two stories above ground and one story below. The buildings of the Imperial Palace were constructed by theTakenaka Corporation 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:
Halls include theMinami-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 andMatsu-no-Ma.[12] FamousNihonga artists such asMaeda Seison 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 thePrime Minister in this room, as well as appointing or dismissing ambassadors andMinisters of State. It is also the room where the Prime Minister andChief Justice areappointed to office.
The Fukiage Garden has carried the name since the Edo period and is used as the residential area for theImperial Family.
TheFukiage Palace (吹上御所,Fukiage gosho), completed in 1993, was used as the primary residence ofAkihito from December 8, 1993, to March 2020. After a period of refurbishment,Naruhito,Masako andAiko moved in in September 2021.
The Fukiage Ōmiya Palace (吹上大宮御所,Fukiage Ōmiya-gosho) in the northern section was originally the residence of Emperor Showa andEmpress Kōjun and was called theFukiage Palace. After the Emperor's death in 1989, the palace was renamed theFukiage Ōmiya Palace and was the residence of the Empress Dowager until her death in 2000.[13] It is currently not in use.
The palace precincts include theThree Palace Sanctuaries (宮中三殿,Kyūchū-sanden). Parts of theImperial Regalia of Japan are kept here and the sanctuary plays a religious role inimperial enthronements and weddings.
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 210,000 m2 (2,300,000 sq ft). Located on the grounds of the East Gardens is the ImperialTokagakudo 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 theSaineikandojo, and theMuseum 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, thekuretake-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 May 30, 1963, the area was declared by the Japanese government a "Special Historic Relic" under the Cultural Properties Protection Law.
TheTōkagakudō (桃華楽堂; Peach Blossom Music Hall) is located to the east of the former main donjon of Edo Castle in the Honmaru. Designed byKenji Imai,[14] this music hall was built in commemoration of the 60th birthday ofEmpress Kōjun on March 6, 1963. The ferro-concrete building covers a total area of 1,254 m2 (13,500 sq ft). 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.
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 byKobori Enshu, 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.[15]
TheSuwa no Chaya (諏訪の茶屋) is ateahouse that was located in the Fukiage Garden during the Edo period. It moved to theAkasaka Palace 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.
TheKitanomaru Park is located to the north and is the former northernenceinte of Edo Castle. It is apublic park and is the site ofNippon Budokan Hall.
This garden contains a bronze monument toPrince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (北白川宮能久親王,Kitashirakawa-no-miya Yoshihisa-shinnō).
The Kokyo Gaien National Garden consists of outer gardens that ring the Imperial Palace. It contain bronze monuments toKusunoki Masashige (楠木正成) and toWake no Kiyomaro (和気清麻呂).
![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.[16]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aImperial_Palace_Tokyo_Ambassador_on_Kyuden_Totei_Plaza.JPG)
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