It has been over 200 years since an emperor has abdicated (they typically reign until their death), so it is a very big deal for the country. The Emperor will retain his Imperial status and will still be called "His Majesty". He will just cease to perform official duties and will move out of the Imperial Palace to a different palace in Akasaka.
Since my stepmother is visiting, we thought it would be interesting to go visit the site of this figurehead transition. We headed out the door before 8 am to walk to the train station. We had to arrive at the Imperial Palace before 9 am to wait in line to get a number, which allowed us to enter the palace grounds at 9:50. Only 500 people are allowed on the tour (200 pre-registered guests and 300 guests without reservations), so timing was important if we wanted to go.
In order to start the tour, we had to show identification, a passport for my stepmom, a residence card for me, and a driver's license for my husband. After walking through the gate, we passed a security check where our bags were thoroughly searched. We then filled out a form with our name, contact information, and birthdate. Finally, we were officially approved to go on the tour.
In the large welcome room, we were informed that there would be 5 tour groups, broken up by language. There were tour guides for English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Japanese guests. Each tour guide had a microphone and little speaker box attached to their belt.
We followed the guide around a portion of the grounds as she told us all sorts of interesting facts about the Imperial Palace. I learned that the Imperial Palace was originally built as Edo Castle. It has been a place of power since before Tokyo was the capital (the capital used to be Kyoto, as well as several other cities). In 1868, Emperor Meiji moved to the current Imperial Palace in Tokyo and the family has lived here since that time. The Emperor moved to Tokyo after Tokugawa Shoguns (the residents of Edo Castle) were removed from power after running the country for over 200 years. Since I know very little about the history of the Japanese royal family, I found it all to be very interesting.
Every building on the property has been rebuilt at some point over the years for various reasons, like fire and destruction during war. The oldest building that is on the property is a watch tower that was rebuilt in 1659! Even though it isn't original, it is still extremely old.
Although the buildings have been rebuilt, many of the walls are original to the construction of Edo Castle. They have survived earthquakes, fires, and wear and tear, yet still hold strong. The tour guide pointed out markings carved into the rock walls I had never noticed before. They are actually family crests of the people who built the walls. We know these stone walls are original in part because of these family crests. My great grandfather was a rock mason, so I find these walls and family crests to be exceptionally fascinating.
We walked past Chowaden Hall, which is used whenever the Emperor and Empress greet the people on holidays and special occasions. The tour guide told us about how dignitaries and special guests were welcomed and tidbits about the ceremonial aspects. When new heads of state first come to the palace, they can choose to be picked up at their hotel in a limo, or at Tokyo Station by a horse drawn carriage. Approximately 90% of all these guests choose the horse drawn carriage.
The large sculpture in front of Chowaden Hall is an artistic rendering of a pine tree, a symbol of longevity, virtue, and youth. The long spike at the top is a lightening tower, but it is topped with a likeness of a bracelet. Pretty much everything symbolized something or was a gift from somewhere in Japan. Everything had a story.
The Main Gate Stone Bridge is one of the most photographed structures of the Imperial Palace. It is called the megane bridge, or glasses bridge, because the reflection of the two half circles makes it look like a pair of glasses. My son was super impressed with this bridge and loved the nickname.
We did not see the Emperor's private residence, as it is a house somewhere else on the property. I did, however, learn that the Emperor plants and grows rice on the property and uses the harvest for a special ceremony each November. The Empress focuses her attention on mulberry trees located on the property. She harvests the leaves to feed silkworms, which she then uses their silk to make things. These tidbits might in fact be my favorite lessons learned today.
The tour was really interesting. There was so much that I didn't have a clue about. When I walked out of the Imperial Palace grounds, I felt like I had learned so much about Japanese history and culture that isn't found in textbooks. It is the living history that will be changing at the end of April and beginning of May, starting a new chapter.
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