The current Imperial Palace (Kokyo) is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family.
Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In 1868 (the date of the Meiji Restoration when Emperor Meiji overthrew the shogunate rule and re-opened Japan to the west), the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards. The remaining moat surrounding the palace is from the original caslte, and a few of the beautiful gates buildings and watchtowers have survived the years of earthquakes and bombings. The new imperial palace, that was completed in the 1960’s to replace the bombed buildings of WWII, is not architecturally as impressive as one might expect. But it is still a great symbol of history, and the place where many diplomatic events still occur throughout the year.
We spent the first day our family was in town at the Imperial Palace, taking a tour of the palace grounds and the East Garden. It rained the entire tour, but we had our umbrellas in hand and made the most of it.
1 comment:
how wonderful to have familiar company!! i hope you're having a great time. i LOVE the cool lookin' trees :)
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