| The ''Nishi-no-maru'', or "western bailey," now the central area of the Imperial Palace, was previously home to the palatial residence of the shogunal heir. Originally completed in [[1710]], it mirrored the ''honmaru'' palace to a large extent in its layout, albeit on a smaller scale. Though typically the residence of the shogunal heir, it was at times used for lengthy periods as the chief residence of a retired shogun.<ref>Daniele Lauro, "Displaying authority: Guns, political legitimacy, and martial pageantry in Tokugawa Japan, 1600 - 1868," MA Thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2013), 57.</ref> Envoys from [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|the Ryûkyû Kingdom]], [[Korean embassies to Edo|Korea]], and the [[Dutch East India Company]] regularly enjoyed audiences at the ''Nishi-no-maru'' in addition to their formal audiences with the shogun in the ''Ôhiroma'' (main audience hall) of the ''Honmaru''. | | The ''Nishi-no-maru'', or "western bailey," now the central area of the Imperial Palace, was previously home to the palatial residence of the shogunal heir. Originally completed in [[1710]], it mirrored the ''honmaru'' palace to a large extent in its layout, albeit on a smaller scale. Though typically the residence of the shogunal heir, it was at times used for lengthy periods as the chief residence of a retired shogun.<ref>Daniele Lauro, "Displaying authority: Guns, political legitimacy, and martial pageantry in Tokugawa Japan, 1600 - 1868," MA Thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2013), 57.</ref> Envoys from [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo|the Ryûkyû Kingdom]], [[Korean embassies to Edo|Korea]], and the [[Dutch East India Company]] regularly enjoyed audiences at the ''Nishi-no-maru'' in addition to their formal audiences with the shogun in the ''Ôhiroma'' (main audience hall) of the ''Honmaru''. |