Kenrei-mon (?), one of the entrances to Kyoto Gosho.
The Imperial Palace in Kyoto (Japanese: Kyo:to Gosho?) is an imperial palace in Japan, although it is not the residence of the Japanese emperor. The Emperor has resided in the Tokyo Imperial Palace since 1869 (Meiji Restoration) and ordered the conservation of the Kyoto Palace in 1877.
Located in the modern Kamigyo district of Kyoto.
Nowadays, the palace grounds are open to the public, and the Japanese Imperial Household Office organizes tours several times a day.
The palace lost many of its functions during the Meiji Restoration when the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1869. Although Emperors Taisho and Showa were crowned in Kyoto Gosho.
Description
Story
Xixin Throne Hall
In 794, after the Japanese capital was moved to Heian, the future of Kyoto, an imperial palace was built in the north-central part of the city. During the 8th-13th centuries it was restored several times due to wear and tear and fire. In such cases, the Emperor’s residence was moved to a temporary palace (Japanese ?, ?), which was located on the estates of his subjects. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is one such temporary palace that became the permanent residence of the Emperor and his court after the final decline of the Heian palace in the 14th century.
Kyoto Palace was located on the territory of the small palace Tsuchimikado (Japanese ?, ?). During the split of the Imperial House into the northern and southern dynasties, it was used from 1331 as the residence of the Emperors of the northern dynasty. After the unification of the two dynasties in 1392, Kyoto Palace became the main residence of the Emperors of Japan. It burned to the ground twice in 1401 and 1443, was not restored for a long time due to lack of finances, and finally fell during the Onin samurai turmoil of 1467-1476.
In 1569, the restoration of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was begun by the regional ruler Oda Nobunaga, who captured Kyoto. He erected the main royal chambers, which occupied a small area of 109.9 m2. The restoration was continued by his political successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who expanded the palace. The Emperor's residence was finally completed during the 1620-1640s.
Kyoto Palace burned down several times in 1653, 1661, 1673, 1708, 1788. In 1789, the chairman of the shogunal government, Matsudaira Sadanobu, partially restored it, building several buildings in the style of the Heian Palace, designed by Uramatsu Mitsuyo. Despite this, in 1854 the Imperial Palace burned down again and the following year it was completely restored again. The palace is still preserved in this form.
Building
Small Kogosho Palace
The length of the Kyoto Palace from north to south is 450 m, and from west to east - 250 m. Its territory is enclosed by a white wall with six gates.
To the south is the Kenrei front gate, which opens onto a southern courtyard surrounded by three galleries: Shomeimon, Nikkamon and Gekkamon. On the north side of the courtyard stands the main throne room of Shishin, and to the north-west of it are the quarters of the monarch Seiryo. To the northeast of the hall is the small Kogosho Palace, the Study Hall and the Tsunenogoden Hall. To the east of them is the Imperial Pond. In the northern part of the Kyoto Palace there are the Empress Halls and the Princes' and Princesses' Halls.
To the southeast of Kyoto Palace is the Empress Mother Palace, which was built in 1867, and the Ex-Emperor Palace, built in 1852. Together with the Kyoto Palace, they are called the Kyoto Imperial Garden (Japanese ?, ?). Its total area is 90 m2. Until the middle of the 20th century, the components of the garden were the estates of the capital's aristocrats and the imperial family, built along the Imperial Palace. As of 1994, the estate of the Reizen family, which is included in the list of valuable cultural achievements of Japan, has survived from them.
The Kyoto Imperial Palace is open to the public every year in the first ten days of April and the second ten days of October. On other days, you can visit the palace with special permission from the Imperial Household Office of Japan.
Scheme
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1. Kenrei Gate (?, ?, kenrei-mon)
Imperial Park (gyoen) occupies a vast block in the very center of Kyoto, from the station take the red Karasuma subway line 4 stops to Marutamachi or five to Imadegawa, 210 yen per card. The exits are located respectively on the southwestern and northwestern corners of the park; it is closer to the imperial palace from Imadegawa.
The park is truly large, surrounded by a low wall, wide paths with fine gravel - just like in Shinto shrines like Ise.
The Imperial Palace (gosho) occupies the northwestern quarter of the park, with an area of 110 thousand square meters. Since the summer of 2016, it has been open to the public from 9:00 to 17:00; admission closes 40 minutes before entry; admission is free.
Entrance from the west, through the Gishumon gate, bags/backpacks are checked at the entrance and a tag with a number is hung on your neck - the number of visits per day is limited.
At the entrance there will be a visitor center where they play a film about the palace with subtitles, and you can also pick up a booklet in English there.
The palace on this site was first built in 1331, burned and destroyed more than once, the last time was rebuilt in 1855 and was the residence of the emperor until 1869, when he moved to Tokyo. Nevertheless, it was here that the emperors Taisho and Showa, now in Tokyo, ascended the throne.
There is only one inspection route, just follow the arrows; you are not allowed inside the palace buildings. First I go to the right, past a row of pavilions where visitors were supposed to await an audience.
There is also the Shinmikurumayose Pavilion, built in 1915 for the coronation of Taisho, where the new monarch was dressed in appropriate clothes.
I walk along the corridor between the outer wall and the red gallery -
And I enter the vast courtyard, in the middle of which stands the main building of the palace complex - Shishinden, the hall of official receptions and coronations.
Upon exiting, I go further north, on the right there will be the Shunkoden Pavilion, built in 1915 - for three imperial regalia brought to the palace for the coronation ceremony from places of permanent storage.
Further, behind a low fence on the right there will be the outer garden of Oykeniwa.
An ordinary Japanese garden with a pond and a humpbacked bridge.
On the left are several pavilions for different ceremonies.
Another fence, behind it is the emperor’s personal territory.
Internal garden Gonaitei.
And the imperial house Otsunegoten.
Actually, this is where the inspection ends - it took ¾ of an hour. And go past a number of pavilions on the way out.
The southeastern part of the imperial park is occupied by another palace complex - Sento, with an area of 91 thousand acres.
It can be visited with a guided tour, conducted 3 days a day, the number of visitors at a time is limited to 40 people. At the entrance I register with a printout and receive a booklet in English and an audio guide. The visitor center at the entrance is quite small - a small room with a film about the palace playing on the screen.
In fact, the complex combines two palaces - the Sento Palace, built for retired emperors in 1630, and the small Omiya Palace, added to it in 1867, for the mother of Emperor Meiji.
The tour is conducted by an impressive man in a suit with a golden chrysanthemum on the lapel.
It begins at the square at Okurumayose, the gate of the Omiya Palace.
Then we go to the right, to the Otsunegoten Pavilion, where the Empress Dowager lived. In 1922, the interior of the pavilion was rebuilt in a Western style, for the visit of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII) to Japan. But they are not allowed inside, because the current pavilion is where the imperial family stays during their visits to Kyoto.
We pass through the grove and the gate into the territory of the Sento Palace. The main buildings of the palace burned down in a fire in 1854 and were not rebuilt after that, since Japan no longer had retired emperors.
The Imperial Palace in Kyoto (Japanese: 京都御所 Kyoto Gosho) is an imperial palace in Japan, although it is not the residence of the Japanese emperor. The Emperor has resided in the Tokyo Imperial Palace since 1869 (Meiji Restoration) and ordered the conservation of the Kyoto Palace in 1877. Located in the modern Kamigyo district of Kyoto. Nowadays, the palace grounds are open to the public, and the Japanese Imperial Household Office organizes tours several times a day. The palace lost many of its functions during the Meiji Restoration when the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1869. Although Emperors Taisho and Showa were crowned in Kyoto Gosho.
Description
In 794, after the Japanese capital was moved to Heian, the future of Kyoto, an imperial palace was built in the north-central part of the city. During the 8th-13th centuries it was restored several times due to wear and tear and fire. In such cases, the Emperor’s residence was moved to the Temporary Palace (Japanese: 里内裏, さとだいり), which was located on the estates of his subjects. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is one such temporary palace that became the permanent residence of the Emperor and his court after the final decline of the Heian palace in the 14th century. The Kyoto Palace was located on the territory of the Tsuchimikado Small Palace (Japanese: 土御門東洞院殿, つちみかどひがしのとういんどの). During the split of the Imperial House into the northern and southern dynasties, it was used from 1331 as the residence of the Emperors of the northern dynasty. After the unification of the two dynasties in 1392, Kyoto Palace became the main residence of the Emperors of Japan. It burned to the ground twice in 1401 and 1443, was not restored for a long time due to lack of finances, and finally fell during the Onin samurai turmoil of 1467-1476. In 1569, the restoration of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was begun by the regional ruler Oda Nobunaga, who captured Kyoto. He erected the main royal chambers, which occupied a small area of 109.9 m2. The restoration was continued by his political successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who expanded the palace. The Emperor's residence was finally completed during the 1620-1640s. Kyoto Palace burned down several times in 1653, 1661, 1673, 1708, 1788. In 1789, the chairman of the shogunal government, Matsudaira Sadanobu, partially restored it, building several buildings in the style of the Heian Palace, designed by Uramatsu Mitsuyo. Despite this, in 1854 the Imperial Palace burned down again and the following year it was completely restored again. The palace is still preserved in this form.
The length of the Kyoto Palace from north to south is 450 m, and from west to east - 250 m. Its territory is enclosed by a white wall with six gates. To the south is the Kenrei front gate, which opens onto a southern courtyard surrounded by three galleries: Shomeimon, Nikkamon and Gekkamon. On the north side of the courtyard stands the main throne room of Shishin, and to the north-west of it are the quarters of the monarch Seiryo. Northeast of the hall...
Kyoto Gosho, or Imperial Palace, served as the residence of the imperial family until the Japanese capital was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868. Emperor Meiji kept this building for himself, but mothballed it in 1877. However, after Meiji's death, Emperors Taisho and Showa were crowned at the imperial palace in Kyoto in 1912 and 1926, respectively. The current Emperor Akihito was crowned in Tokyo.
The history of this building began at the end of the 7th century after Heian (the early name of Kyoto) became the capital of the Japanese state. Its construction began in 794 in the central part of the city. In the period from the 7th to the 12th centuries, the palace burned to the ground several times, but it was completely restored. Reconstructions were also carried out due to the deterioration of the building.
Usually, during renovations, the emperor's residence was moved to one of the temporary palaces belonging to the Japanese nobility. The Imperial Palace in Kyoto was just one of these temporary palaces, and it became a permanent residence only in the 14th century.
Several rulers had a hand in the appearance of the palace. Thus, in 1569, Odu Nobunaga erected the main royal chambers, and his successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu expanded the palace areas. And in 1789, the chairman of the shogunal government, Matsudaira Sadanobu, carried out a partial restoration, building several buildings in the Heian style. The last reconstruction of the building took place in 1855 after another fire, and since then the appearance of the palace has not changed radically.
The palace complex is located in the Kamigyo area. It is surrounded by a wall, behind which there are gardens and several buildings. The entire territory was named the Imperial Park. The complex includes the main throne room of Shishin, the halls of the empress, princes and princesses, the palace of the empress mother, the small palace of Kogosho, the imperial pond and other objects.
