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[[File:Nijubashi.jpg|right|thumb|400px|The famous ''Nijûbashi'' bridge leading into the palace.]]
*''Date: [[1889]]''
*''Date: [[1889]]''
*''Japanese'': 皇居 ''(koukyo)''
*''Japanese'': 皇居 ''(koukyo)''
===Post-War through Today===
===Post-War through Today===
==Layout==
==Grounds==
===Inner Palace===
===Inner Palace===
The inner palace buildings, closed to the public, include the imperial residences, official State Meeting Halls, administrative offices, and shrines such as the ''kashikodokoro'', where a variety of Imperial rituals are performed.
The inner palace buildings, closed to the public, include the imperial residences, official State Meeting Halls, administrative offices, and shrines such as the ''kashikodokoro'', where a variety of Imperial rituals are performed.
A ''dôjô'' known as Seineikan (清寧館) located just within the off-limits areas, across the path from the ''Sannomaru Shôzôkan''.
===Gardens===
===Gardens===
The former ''honmaru'', ''ni-no-maru'', and ''san-no-maru'' areas of the castle today constitute the Imperial Palace East Gardens (''higashi gyoen'') and are generally open to the public, along with the Kitanomaru Park. The latter contains within it the Nippon Budokan, a major public sports arena and concert venue.
The former ''honmaru'', ''ni-no-maru'', and ''san-no-maru'' areas of the castle today constitute the Imperial Palace East Gardens (''higashi gyoen'') and are generally open to the public, along with the Kitanomaru Park. The latter contains within it the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art's Crafts Hall (''Tôkyô kokuritsu kindai bijitsukan kôgeikan''), and the Nippon Budokan, a major public sports arena and concert venue.
The East Gardens feature a number of Edo period buildings (or their reconstructions), including the Fujimi yagura (the only three-story corner watchtower in the compound), Fujimi-tamon (a ''nagaya''-style defensive structure), an ''ishimuro'' stone storehouse, the foundation platform of the ''tenshu'' (keep tower) which burned down in [[1657]] and was never replaced, the [[Suwa no chaya]] teahouse, and several guardhouses (''bansho''), as well as the Ninomaru Gardens designed by [[Kobori Enshu|Kobori Enshû]], the ''Sannomaru Shôzôkan'', and the Tôkagakudô (Tôka Music Hall), constructed in 1966 for the Empress Kôjun's 60th birthday. One area of the gardens contains trees representative of each of Japan's 47 [[prefectures of Japan|prefectures]].
A famous statue of 14th century Imperial loyalist [[Kusunoki Masashige]], sculpted by [[Takamura Koun|Takamura Kôun]], stands in the palace's Outer Gardens (''gaien'').
A famous statue of 14th century Imperial loyalist [[Kusunoki Masashige]], sculpted by [[Takamura Koun|Takamura Kôun]], stands in the palace's Outer Gardens (''gaien'').
==References==
==References==
*Plaques on-site.
<references/>
<references/>
[[Category:Meiji Period]]
[[Category:Meiji Period]]
[[Category:Historic Buildings]]
[[Category:Historic Buildings]]