Kyoto Imperial Palace
Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都 御所Japanese, Kyoto Gosho ) was the residence of the Emperor of Japan during most of its history. This began with the Heian period, as the imperial capital of Heijo - kyō ( Nara ) to Heian - kyō, today's Kyoto moved. The function as the official residence ended with the Meiji Restoration, when the Emperor his seat to Edo, present-day Tōkyō moved ( Imperial Palace Tokyo). The Emperor Taishō and Shōwa committed their coronation ceremonies continue in the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
General referred to the Gosho in Kyoto all the buildings in the walled parking area between the streets Imadegawa in the north, Marutamachi in the south, the west and Karasuma Teramachi in the east with an area of about 1100 × 600 m. In a narrower sense Gosho refers to the inner palace complex in the northern half of the site.
The Imperial Household Agency maintains the buildings and grounds, referred to officially Kyoto Gyoen also (京都 御苑, dt " imperial gardens Kyoto "). The park is the public around the clock, green spaces may be used similarly as in European parks to pass the time. The palaces themselves are exposed to the public in the spring and fall one week available. Foreign visitors can tour the facilities after registration on site throughout the year.
History
The current Kyoto Gosho goes on the secondary residence (里 内 里, satodairi ) Tsuchimikado -dono (土 御 门 殿) or Tsuchimikado Higashi no Toin -dono (土 御 门 东 洞 院 殿) in Heian - kyō back that almost 500 meters east of the Imperial Palace Greater Palace was removed, but the real center of power was.
Then the palace was destroyed several times by fire and rebuilt. When the palace burned down again in 1788, Matsudaira Sadanobu was commissioned to rebuild the shogunate. 1790 was Sadanobu based on Uramatsu Kozens (里 松 固 禅) Greater Palace Zukōshō (大 内 里 図 考证) the Jomei - mon (承 明 门), the Shishin - the (紫宸 殿) and the Seiryo - the (清凉 殿) to the heian -temporal models reconstruct. 1854, the palace was again destroyed by fire but the following year, in its present form neuaufgebaut.
Building and Grounds
The palace grounds owns next to the Imperial Residence (内 里, dairi ) a number of other buildings. In the north of the residence is Sentō (仙洞), the residence of the retired emperor. North of the Gosho, across the street Imadegawa, is the Doshisha University.
The main building on the palace grounds includes, among other halls, the hall for state ceremonies (紫宸 殿Shishinden, purple imperial hall ), Seiryōden (清凉 殿, cool / refreshing Hall ), courtyard (小 御所Kogosho, small, imperial room), Ogakumonsho (御 学问 所, imperial study room or library) and a number of residences for the Empress, high-ranking aristocrats and government officials.
The main gate on the south side of the palace has a roof made of cypress wood and is supported by four pillars. On both sides of famous and sacred trees are planted: a cherry ( sakura) on the left, a Tachibana - tree on the right. This gate is only used for the rare occasions when the Emperor foreign diplomats or dignitaries receives, as well as other important state ceremonies. Laterally there are fences that separate the inner parts of the general palace grounds.
Directly behind the main gate there is a vermilion -painted and tiled second gate that leads to the Shishinden, the hall for state ceremonies. The Shishinden was used for important ceremonies such as coronations and imperial investiture of the crown prince. It is 33 × 23 m tall and built in traditional style with gables and four sloping sides of the roof.
The center of the Shishinden is surrounded by Hisashi (庇), a long narrow hallway, as it is common in aristocratic houses of traditional architecture of Heian. This opens a wide open space, which is bridged by covered with mats areas that lead to the central throne room. The throne itself, called Takamikura (高 御座), stands on an octagonal platform five feet off the ground and can be separated from the rest of the room by a curtain. The sliding doors that hide the Emperor from view, hot KENJO no Shoji (贤圣 障 子, dt " sliding door of the sages and saints " ) and are painted with a picture of 32 saints, which is one of the most important models for the painting of the Heian time was.
The Seiryōden is located west of Shishinden with the front facing east. It also has a sloping roof with gables on all four sides and consists mainly of cypress wood. Originally, this was the place where the emperor governed his personal affairs. Later it was used also for various meetings and gatherings. In the center there is an area where the emperor rested, on the east side of the hall, an area of two tatami was reserved as a seat for aristocrats and dignitaries. Here the emperor could regulate formal affairs. On the north side of the Halls was an enclosed area where the emperor slept at night. Later, the Emperor began to use the official residence ( dairi ). The west side was reserved for the breakfast of the Emperor, and also contained the toilets, the south side was used by the Imperial Archivist. This area had several paintings by masters of the Tosa school, in front of the building were there planted several rare species of bamboo.