IMPERIAL PALACE (TOKYO)
Representing modern history of Japan Built: 1457 (as Edo Castle), as Imperial palacefrom 1869,

 Area: 1,150,000 m2 (280 acre) (1/3 of Centralpark NY)

 Basic structure of the castle was built by OTA

Dokan, TOKUGAWA Ieyasu made Edo Castle hisbase after he was offered eight eastern
provinces (Kanto Plain) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

 After Ieyasu received the title of Sei-i Taishōgun in1603, Edo became the center of Tokugawa'sadministration.

 After Meiji Restoration, it became the Tokyo

Imperial Palace since 1869.

 Entering to Nishinomaru area is allowed only byguided tour (reservation recommended) theEast gardens is free (no reservation).

 Emperor Naruhito: 126th Emperor, enthroned

1 May 2019, Birthday 23 February 1960,Married 9 June 1993

 Empress Masako : Former diplomat,

Graduated from Harvard University, Birthday
9 December 1963.

 Emperor Emeritus Akihito: Abdicated in

October 2019, Empress Emerita Michiko, firstcommoner and the first member of areligious minority (Roman Catholic) to marryinto the Japanese Imperial Family

 Crown Prince Fumihito: Second Son of theEmperor Emeritus, Prince Hisahito: Son of theCrown Prince Fumihito According to Imperial House Law, only

male-line male prince in Imperial family cansucceed the Imperial Throne Kusunoki Masashige (Nankou) (1294 – 4 July1336), Samurai warrior of the Kamakura
period recognized as the ideal of samurai
loyalty Masashige fought for Emperor Go-Daigo tooverthrow the Kamakura shogunate andrestore power to the Imperial Court Kusunoki became a popular legend in Japan

representing loyalty and virtue, andassociated with the phrase "Would that I had
seven lives to give for my country!“ Built in July 1900, the authors of the artwork

are Koun Takamura etc. Doneated bySumitomo zaibatu, owner of Besshi CopperMine.

 Nijubashi (Dobule Bridge), the two

separate bridges, foreground is "Stone
Bridge” and background is called"Steel Bridge

 The background Bridge was made ofwood with wooden beams. This is areason called the "Double”.

 Nijubashi bridge is only opened on

special occasions such as for holding
formal ceremonies. Also twice a year,
the first is on the 2nd of January, whichis called "New Year Greetings" and theEmperor's Official Birthday.

 The present bridge was re-constructedin 1964.

 Kikyomon gate: Gate namereflects crest of Kikyo (balloonflower) on roofing tiles, which iscrest of Ota clam, former owner ofthe Edo castle. The gate is also
known as the Inner Sakurada-mon.

 Fushimi yagura (keep) is said

relocated from Fushimi castle inKyoto, standing on combination ofstone walls and soil mound against
deep moat.

 Fujimi yagura (keep)

which had important role
after the main castletower was burned downby the great fire of Meireki
in 1657 and never rebuilt.

 The tatsumi-yagura, also

known as sakuradayagura, is a two-story highkeep at the easternmost
corner of the Sannomaru
and the only keep still
remaining in Sannomaru.

 Yukizuri: To protect the trees from the weight of snow. In Tokyo, it isseldom heavy snow, but for ornamental feature Komomaki: straw belt, also known as waramaki, wrapped around tree

during winter to protect plant against pests like pine moth. It is now
considered less effective since it catches also predators or natural
enemy of pests.

 Warabocchi: To cover plants from sever cold winter for cold prone plant