Tokyo+Imperial+Palace

=Tokyo Imperial Palace=

Background
The Tokyo Imperial Palace, which houses the Emperor of Japan, is a large, park like area near Tokyo Station. It contains several buildings including the main palace, a museum, an archive, and administrative offices and is built on the site of the old Edo Castle. The total area of the palace including the gardens is almost three square miles.

Edo Castle
After the capitulation of the Shogunate, the inhabitants were required to leave the Edo Castle. On October 23, 1868 the Emperor left Kyoto to move to Edo Castle in Tokyo. This marked the beginning of the Imperial family living in Tokyo.

Present Palace
Today's palace encompasses the the old Edo Castle. Most of the palace is closed to the public, but on New Year's day, and the emporer's birthday, the public is allowed to enter though the inner gate, and the emporor gives a speech to a jubilant crowd. In 1945, the palace was severely damaged by a fire. Because of this, many of the wings were rebuilt to more modern tastes. There are seven wings on the imperial palace, which include the banquet and reception halls. The "Pine Chamber" is the throne room in the imperial palace, where important guests are recived by the prime minister.