The Kyōto Imperial Palace

The Kyōto Imperial Palace was the Emperor of Japan's previous royal palace. The Emperors have resided at the Tokyo Imperial Palace since the Meiji Restoration in 1869, while the Kyoto Imperial Palace was ordered preserved in 1877. The grounds are now available to the public, and the Imperial Household Agency offers tours of the buildings many times a day.

The Kyōto Imperial Palace is the most recent of the imperial palaces built at or near its site in the northeastern portion of Heian-ky (now known as Kyoto) following the abandonment of the larger original Heian Palace, which was located to the west of the current palace during the Heian period. When the capital activities were relocated to Tokyo in 1869 during the Meiji Restoration, the Palace lost much of its function. Emperor Taisho and Showa, on the other hand, had their enthronement rites at the palace.

The Palace sits in the Kyoto-gyoen, a vast rectangular enclosure measuring 1,300 meters (4,300 feet) north to south and 700 meters (2,300 feet) east to west. It also houses the gardens of the Sent Imperial Palace and the Kyoto State Guest House. The estate dates from the early Edo period, when prominent court aristocrats lived close to the palace and the region was walled off. When the capital was relocated to Tokyo, the houses of the court nobility were razed, and the majority of Kyoto Gyoen is now a public park.

The Shishinden (Hall for State Ceremonies), Seiryden (Emperor's Habitual Residence), Kogosho (Court Room), Ogakumonjo (Imperial Study or Library), and a variety of mansions for the Empress, high-ranking aristocrats, and government officials are among the main buildings.

Location: 3 Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-0881, Japan