Kokyo - the Imperial Palace in Tokyo
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is an oasis of calm and greenery in the middle of skyscrapers and business districts. Known as Kokyo, the area was apparently worth as much as the entire state of California during the bubble economy years.
It was originally Edo Castle, the home of the Tokugawa Shogunate but was taken over by the emperor when the Restoration happened in the late 1800s. Ever since, it has been the home to the Emperor and his family.
As such, it is mostly out of bounds, but people can walk around the Eastern gardens and people are permitted to enter the palace during the New Year (January 2nd) and on the Emperor’s birthday (December 23rd).
The palace, like many buildings in Japan, was destroyed by bombing in World War II. What stands today is a faithful recreation completed in the 60’s.
It’s a short walk from the historic Tokyo train station, so it’s worth visiting the area for all the historical buildings (including the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which I’ll cover in the next post).
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