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Coordinates: 35°41′05.11″N, 139°45′08.85″E

Panorama of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

Map of the Imperial Palace and surrounding Gardens

The Tokyo Imperial Palace (Kōkyo (皇居, Kōkyo^?)) is the imperial palace of Japan and the residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo and is close to Tokyo Station. It is roughly the size of Central Park, which has an area of 3.41 squared kilometers.

After the Meiji Restoration and the resignation of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last Tokugawa shogun, the Imperial court moved from Kyoto to Tokyo and the former Tokugawa stronghold of Edo castle became the residence of the emperor (the Kyoto Imperial Palace was preserved). From 1888 to 1948, it was called Kyūjō (宮城, "palace castle"). The palace precincts include the Three Palace Sanctuaries (Kyūchūsanden, 宮中三殿).

The original palace was not constructed on the grounds of the Shogun\'s palace, today the area of the East Garden. The palace was greatly damaged during World War II. The modern structures were built in the 1960\'s in a modernist style with clear Japanese architectural references. The buildings of the Imperial Palace were constructed by the Takenaka Corporation.

Most of the palace is generally off-limits to the public, but the Imperial Household Agency conducts tours. Also, the East Gardens are usually accessible to tourists. The inner palace is open to the public on only two days during each year, the Emperor\'s birthday and at the New Year (January 2).

Located on the grounds of the East Garden is the Museum of the Imperial Collections.

During the height of the 1980s Japanese property bubble, the palace was purportedly valued by some as equivalent to the value of all the real estate in the state of California [1].

Other historic imperial palaces

Heijo Palace in Nara, the Imperial Palace during the Nara Period (710–784)
Kyoto Gosho: Imperial palace at various locations in Kyoto, residence until the move to Tokyo in 1868.

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Main Gate of the Imperial Palace

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Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace.

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Emperor Akihito greets the crowd at the Imperial Palace on his birthday, December 23, 2004.

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Imperial Palace Garden.

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Defensive wall and building above moat.