Kōkyo Higashi-gyoen

Aerial view of the garden, 1989

An entrance, the Ōtemon, and a visitor ticket

Former residence
- now lawn

Fujimi-yagura

Kōkyo Higashi-gyoen ( Japanese 皇居東御苑 'Imperial East Garden of the Imperial Palace' ) is the publicly accessible eastern part of the Imperial Palace or the old castle grounds of Edo Castle . It includes the castle districts of Honmaru, Ni-no-maru and a small part of San-no-maru.

Kitanomaru Park is now located on the northern part of the former castle grounds .

history

After the Meiji restoration and the takeover of Edo Castle by the imperial family, the western part ( Ni-no-maru ) was used and the new residence was built there. The old castle grounds were used, but a large part of it was prepared as a park for the public. The redesign of the eastern part of the imperial residence began in 1961 with the demolition or relocation of buildings that had stood there since the Meiji period . A new pond was created in the Ni-no-maru and buildings from the Edo period were repaired or restored . After completion in 1963, the entire complex was given the status of “Important Historical Traces” ( 史跡 , shiseki ) within the law on the protection of cultural assets .

The garden can be entered through the three gates Ōtemon ( 大手門 ), Hirakawamon ( 平川門 ) and Kitahanebashimon ( 北桔橋門 ).

Ninomaru garden

If you have passed the Ōtemon, you pass the flat buildings of the guards Dōshin bansho ( 同心番所 ), Hyakunin bansho ( 百人番所 ) and finally Dabansho ( 大番所 ) on the way to Honmaru . On the way up you pass the remains of a castle gate, Naka-no-mon ( 中之門 ) and finally the Chūjakumon ( 中雀門 ), also Genkanmaemon ( 玄関前門 ).

In the Ni-no-maru the remainder of an inner ditch has been preserved under the name Tenjin-bori ( 天神濠 ), but otherwise this part has been largely redesigned compared to the Edo period. In the north there are plum trees on the slope, followed by an area in which all 47 prefectures are represented with their prefectural tree. There are 260 trees, but only 30 different species, as some prefectures have chosen the same tree. Another grove also contains various trees. An iris field adjoins a garden with a pond. Two buildings are worth highlighting:

The Museum of the Imperial Collection. The Museum San-no-maru Shōzōkan ( 三の丸尚蔵館 ), opened in 1993, houses paintings from the premodern period, writings, handicrafts and paintings from the present.
The Suwa no Chaya ( 諏訪の茶屋 ) tea house on Tenjin-bori was located in the Fukiage area during the Edo period. It was taken to the Akasaka Palace and finally transferred to this garden area.

Honmaru

There is nothing left of the extensive former residence, it is now occupied by lawns. On the southwestern edge, a stone indicates the handling of Matsu-no-Ōrōka , in which the 1701 incident that led to the vengeance of the 47 samurai took place. From the Edo period are preserved:

Base of the keep ( Tenshukaku ) ( 天守台 , Tenshudai )

Watchtower Fujimi-yagura ( 富士見櫓 )

The following buildings are from more recent times:

Tōkagakudō concert hall ( 桃華楽堂 , "peach blossom hall"). It was built to celebrate Empress Kōjun (March 6, 1963). The hall has an octagonal shape, is made of reinforced concrete and has an area of 1254 m². The outer walls are decorated with mosaics. Construction, started in 1964, was completed in 1966.
Performance hall for traditional Gagaku music ( 楽部庁舎 , Rakubu chōsha )
Archives of the Imperial House ( 書陵部庁舎 , Shorōybu chōsha )