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===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.
The famous ''Nijûbashi'', a short bridge built in the German Renaissance style, and one of the more iconic sights on the publicly-accessible portions of the grounds, leads directly to the Main Gate (''Seimon'') into the non-public areas of the palace. The bridge, and the gate, are themselves off-limits as well, but are easily visible from the main public plaza known as Imperial Palace Outer Garden (''kôkyo gaien'') or simply Plaza in front of the Imperial Palace (''kôkyo mae hiroba''). This plaza had previously been the ''nishi-no-maru shita'' (Lower Western Bailey) of Edo castle, and had been the location of a number of residences of high-ranking shogunate officials. In the first decade or so of the Meiji period, it became home to the Senate (''[[Genroin|Genrôin]]''), the Peers' Club, the [[Naimusho|Home Ministry]] Library, and the private residence of [[Iwakura Tomomi]]. By [[1888]], however, this was all cleared away to make a broad open plaza, where people could gather to see the palace (and to be seen by the Emperor), and where various Imperial/national(ist) ceremonies and events could take place.<ref>Fujitani, 79-81.</ref>
A ''dôjô'' known as Seineikan (清寧館) located just within the off-limits areas, across the path from the ''Sannomaru Shôzôkan''.
A ''dôjô'' known as Seineikan (清寧館) located just within the off-limits areas, across the path from the ''Sannomaru Shôzôkan''.
