The history of Kyoto Imperial palace started from 794 when Emperor Kanmu (50th emperor) moved the capital to Heian-kyo (Kyoto). Kyoto Imperial palace was residence of the Japanese emperors until 1869 when Emperor Meiji (122th emperor) moved to Tokyo.Even after Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo, the palace was used for important national ceremonies including enthronement ceremonies for Emperor Taisyo (123th emperor) and Emperor Showa (124th emperor) . Akihito Emperor Emeritus (125th emperor ) implemented enthronement ceremonies in Imperial Palace Tokyo as well as Naruhito Emperor (126th and current emperor ) had. The complex currently standing was completed in 1855, with an attempt at reproducing the Heian period architecture and style of the original buildings of the Heian Palace.
Name: Imperial palace Kyoto
Place: 3 Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Gyoen National Garden
Admission free
Built: The place of palace had been moved several times when it was damaged or destroyed by fire, the present place was served over 500 years since Emperor Kogen (1st Hokucyo Emperor) was enthroned in 1331.The present structures were reconstructed in 1855.
Overview: The museum exhibits the history and culture of Edo-Tokyo and envision the city and life of the future. The permanent exhibition, showcasing original objects and replicas, showing the 400-year history of Edo-Tokyo since Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum holds special exhibitions five to six times a year. From the exhibitions we can learn real life of common people culture like kabuki theater performances and Ukiyoe paintings and relations with European culture in 19th century. Also we learn modernized culture after Meiji restoration in Tokyo.
江戸東京博物館
江戸東京博物館
江戸東京博物館
江戸東京博物館
江戸東京博物館
江戸東京博物館
江戸東京博物館
Name: Edo-Tokyo Museum Place: 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-city, Tokyo Admission: Adults JPY 600 (Permanent Exhibition) clossed until 2025 under renovation Established: 1993
Overview: Basic structure of the castle was built by OTA Dokan, a famous samurai warrior and buddhist monk.TOKUGAWA Ieyasu made Edo Castle his base after he was offered eight eastern provinces (Kanto Plain) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After Ieyasu received the title of Sei-i Taishōgun in 1603, Edo became the center of Tokugawa’s administration. It was the residence of the shōgun and location of the shogunate, and also functioned as the military capital during the Edo period of Japanese history. After the resignation of the shōgun and the Meiji Restoration, it became the Tokyo Imperial Palace since 1869. Before that, the Imperial Palace in Kyoto was residence of Emperors almost 1,100 years. Some moats, walls and ramparts of the castle survive to this day. Current East gardens was the place for main administrative buildings including former Honmaru (literally the main circle) and Ninomaru (the second circle) and the main keep or tower (known as the tenshudai) areas of Edo Castle. The keep and its multiple roofs were constructed in 1607 and ornamented with gold. It was destroyed in the 1657 Fire of Meireki and not reconstructed. The foundations of the keep are all that is left. After the fire of Nishinomaru Palace (formerly the shōgun’s residence) in 1873, the new imperial Palace Castle was constructed on the site in 1888. After some reconstruction, current the Imperial Palace and the headquarters of the Imperial Household Agency are located in the former Nishinomaru enceinte (West Citadel) of the Edo Castle. Admission: free, entering to the area of the Imperial Palace (Nishinomaru area) is allowed only by guided tour (reservation in advance recommended) and entering the East gardens is free (no reservation).
長和殿東庭 the east plaza in front of Chowaden Hall
伏見櫓 Fushimi yagura (keep)
富士見櫓とビル群 Fushimi yagura with buildings
石垣と土塁の組み合わせの深い堀の上に京都の伏見城から移築されたと伝えられる伏見櫓 Fushimi yagura (keep) is said relocated from Fushimi castle in Kyoto, standing on combination of stone walls and soil mound against deep moat.
正門鉄橋（二重橋）から見た正門石橋 the Stone bridge from the Iron bridge of main gate
宮内庁庁舎 Imperial household agency
旧枢密院 the former Privy Council
桔梗門 kikyoumon gate
緻密な石垣 Stone wall by fine work
大名の印のある石 Stone with feudal lord’s mark
富士見櫓 Fushimi yagura (keep)
Name: Imperial palace (Former Edo castle)
Place: 1-1 Chiyoda Chiyoda Tokyo
Admission free
Built: 1457, Imperial palace from 1869
Owner : OTA Dokan, TOKUGAWA Ieyasu and TOKUGAWA shoguns, Meiji Emperor and later Emperors
Overview: Nihon-ji is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kyonan, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The temple is located on the acute slopes of Mount Nokogiri having the characteristic sawtoothed profile of a Japanese saw. The temple is considered to be the sole temple built by order of the emperor in the Nara period in Kanto area. It is famous of two Daibutsu sculptures – a huge seated carving of Yakushi Nyorai that at 31.05 metres tall is the largest pre-modern, stone-carved Daibutsu in Japan and the “Hundred-shaku Kannon (30.3m)”, a tall relief image of Kannon Bodhisattva, Goddess of Mercy, into one of the quarry walls – as well as 1500 hand-carved arhat sculptures.
日本寺 大仏
日本寺
日本寺
日本寺
日本寺
日本寺
日本寺
日本寺
Name: Kenkon zan Nihon-ji Place: Nokogiriyama, Kyonan, Chiba Admission JPY 700 Foundation: 725 School: Soto Zen (established as Hossō then transferred to Tendai sect (857) and transferred to Soto Zen (1647) Principal Image: Yakushi Nyorai, Bhaiṣajyaguru (Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabhā-rāja) Founded by: Priest Gyoki Flowers: Narcissus (January), Red spider lily (September)
Overview: This temple is the oldest of the numerous temples in the Yanaka area of Tokyo, and is a temple of the Tendai school, but It was founded in 1274 as of Nichiren school but now as a a branch temple of the then-massive Kan’eiji Templeand now lies on the edge of Yanaka Cemetery. It used be famous of five stories pagoda and held lotteries.
天王寺五重塔
天王寺五重塔
天王寺大仏
天王寺
天王寺
Name: Tennouji (Yanaka) (Gokokusan soncyouin tennouji) Place: Yanaka 7-14-8, Taitō city, Tokyo Foundation: 1274 School: Tendai (originally Nichiren) Principal Image: Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha, Bishamonten (Vaiśravaṇa) Festival: Visit the Seven Lucky Gods (1-10 January), Reclining party (15 February), Nichiren school (15 May) Flowers: Cherry Okame variety (March)
Overview: This temple found by Tenkai during Kan’ei period (beginning of Edo era) by an attempt to emulate the powerful religious center Enryaku-ji, in Kyoto. Since it was one of the two Tokugawa funeral temple; the other was Zōjō-ji, it had huge power during the edo period.
Benntendo (Kan’eiji) on Shinobazu pondo
Cherry blossom and The Five-storied Pagoda (of the Former Kan’ei-ji Temple)
The Five-storied Pagoda (of the Former Kan’ei-ji Temple)
The Ueno Great Buddha
Kiyomizu Kannon-do
Chu-do Central Hall
Name: Kan’eiji (Tōeizan Kan’ei-ji Endon-in) Place: Uenosakuragi 1-14-11, Taito-city, Tokyo Foundation: 1625 Principal Image: Yakushirurikō Nyorai(薬師瑠璃光如来: Bhaisajyaguru) Founded by: Priest Tenkai School: Tendai Festival: Daihannyakyo dokkai (Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra chanting festival) (2nd Feb), Kaizan kai (Zigen great priest memorial ) (2nd Ocotber), Tendai kai (Tendai school festi Flowers: Cherry (Ueno park March-April)
Overview: This shrine was originally established in 458 A.D. in order to worship Ameno-tajikaraono-mikoto, one of deities appears in the Japanese myths, known as a deity of sports and physical power. Later, in February 1355, the spirit of Sugawara Michizane, a historical figure, a famous scholar, poet and politician as know Kami or deity of scholarship and learning. Many students visit this shrine to express their reverence to the enshrined spirit as Kami of Learning.
湯島天神
湯島天神
湯島天神
湯島天神
湯島天神
東京 文京 湯島天神
Name: Yushima Tenmangu (Yushima Tenjin) Place: 3-30-1 YUSHIMA,BUNKYO City, Tokyo Foundation: October 1478 (originally established in 458 A.D) Enshrined: Ameno-tajikaraono-mikoto (天手力雄命), Sugawara Michizane Festival: “Tenjin-sai” (The grand festival) (May 25), “Ume-matsuri” (Japanese apricot festival) (early Feb to early March), “Kiku-matsuri” (The chrysanthemums flowers festival) (November) Flowers: Japanese apricot, Chrysanthemums (Florist daisy)
Overview: The museum was founded based on the ukiyo-e collection of late Seizō OtaⅤ, former president of Tōhō Insurance Company in order to show widely its collection to public. This collection is not only covering representative masterpieces of ukiyo-e from its origin through all its stages, but also collecting both masterpieces of nikuhitsu-ga painting and ukiyo-e wood-block prints, which are two substantial portions of ukiyo-e.
Name: Ōta Memorial Museum Place: 1-10-10 Jingu-mae Shibuya city Admission: Changes depending on the exhibition Established: January 13, 1980 Main exhibit.: The collection (total 14,000 pieces) has a remarkable character, not only masterpieces by Kitagawa Utamaro, Katsushika Hokusa and Utagawa Hiroshige but also masterpieces of ukiyo-e from its origin through all stages.
Overview: The museum plays a comprehensive collection of art works and antiquities from Japan as well as other Asian countries. It shows approximately 600 outstanding works owned by the Tokyo National Museum in fields such as paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, decorative arts, and archaeology.
Overview: The shrine was built for enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1st shogunate of Tokugawa family, after his passed away in 1916. Shrine buildings complex consists of 55 buildings including superior significant buildings such as Yomei gate, Karamon gate and Five strories pagoda and so on.
