Japanese Palaces Castles Mansions & Houses


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Daniela said:
Thanks again, mandyy.

This Palaces where the Imperial family lives in, are all close to one another, I mean in the same area, right?

Can you post a photo or a link to the palace where lives Prince Akishino and his family, please?:)

Daniela
Other princely families also live within the Akasaka Estate
#1: View of the whole Akasaka estate that contains most princely residences labeled by me
#2: closer view of Prince Akishino's residence (where the pointer is)
#3: photo of Prince Akishino residence ( I think this pic only shows a portion of the residence, this building itself is not the view of the whole residence)
#4: 1999 press conference by Prince and Princess Akishino at their residence
#5: Closer view of Prince Mikasa, Tomohito and Takamado's residences
#6: Photo of Prince Takamado's residence when it was newly built in 1986



Below link is a photo of Prince Mikasa's residence when it was newly built in Nov. of 1970
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=173895&d=1122520005

Sources:
#1-2,5: yahoo japan map directory
#3: www.yuko2ch.net
#4,6: Yomiuri news
 
Rare peek offered into imperial flora
11/24/2006
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

The impressive Fukiage Gardens housing the Imperial Residence will be opened to the public on a limited basis for the first time next year, the Imperial Household Agency said. Agency officials said the gardens, which cover about 25 hectares and are maintained at the behest of Emperor Showa, will be open May 4 and 5 to mark the inaugural Midori no Gekkan greenery month, which will run from April 15 through May 14...........
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200611240180.html
 
Inside of Imperial Palace

1984 NHK...Showa emperor
Sorry, there is no English Sub.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckOQVwyhvpI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOwWTe5pHmo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5CCnfIihRg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxuk_Bg1JiM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LUi9LRsYLY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhm3_q_4pl4

Niname Festival at ise jingu

Nov. 23 is a Japanese holiday called Kinro Kansha no hi or “Labor Thanksgiving Day.”
Before Kinro Kansha no hi, the event was called Niinamesai and was one of the most important events in Japan. During the Niinamesai, which is much like Thanksgiving, the Japanese emperor expressed his gratitude for the year’s harvest, representing Japanese nations.
In the old era, the custom was to not eat new rice before the emperor ate it at the Niinamesai festival. This festival was not only held for the emperor’s family, but also among the general public. They offered new farm products to Shinto gods and ate them to express their appreciation for those products.
It is not clear when Niinamesai was started. However, a festival, held Nov. 16, 642, was described in the Nihonshoki, or “Chronicles of Japan,” written in 720 which was the first record of the festival.
After the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the Niinamesai celebration date was settled as Nov. 23 and made a national holiday. In 1948, the name was changed to Kinro Kansha no hi. Now, the general public has lost the tradition to celebrate Niinamesai. However, it is still celebrated at Shinto shrines and at the Imperial Court as one of the most important festivals.
He prays for the nation through the night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-s-h85shzc


it is the most important ceremony of Japan's constraction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0h1z5tM8qM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2LxCM4XiXQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2VuCZSviwA



At the Grand Shrine of ise (Ise Jingu) the most important ceremony is Sengu, where every 20 years all the shrine buildings within Ise Jingu are alternately rebuilt at designated sites next to their present locations. The Gods and Goddesses are transferred to the new dwellings with new treasures and garments. During the Sengu, using traditional methods from long ago, exact copies of shrine buildings are rebuilt and 1600 different treasures and garments are remade. This tradition has continued for 1300 years without disruption, except during the civil war in the 16 century
.

http://www.mietimes.jp/culture/sengu/index.html
http://www.isejingu.or.jp/english/index.htm
http://www.sengu.info/index.html
 
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Very interesting..This is the kind of threads we need. I learn a lot watching all this excellent material. :)

Vanesa.
 
Thanks for those links! Even when I could not understand a word of it the images spoke for themselves to give me a hint of the ceremony.
 
Can I ask a question?

I know alot of these pictures have been posted of where they live. But do they actually live there?
Something I have heard that sometimes they live there part-time.
So my question is, do they actualyl live there fullt-ime if you get my meaning?
 
Three arrested for trespassing at Japan's palace
Japan's palace guards on Wednesday arrested three people who trespassed near the imperial palace. The three Japanese people -- a middle-aged man, a middle-aged woman and a young woman -- were arrested in an off-limits area near a gate at around 5:00 am, said a spokesman for the Imperial Guard...........
Three arrested for trespassing at Japan's palace - Yahoo! News
 
The Historian said:
Can I ask a question?

I know alot of these pictures have been posted of where they live. But do they actually live there?
Something I have heard that sometimes they live there part-time.
So my question is, do they actualyl live there fullt-ime if you get my meaning?

I'm pretty sure they do, apart from vacations and so on. I don't think it's like the British royal family, where they have a fistful of palaces and castles to live in and tend to move from one to the other.
 
Are we talking about the Kokyo Palace in Tokyo or the Imperial villa? It seems logical that they would divide time between the official residence and a villa or country home.
 
Imperial Palace opens Fukiage area to public for 1st time

(Kyodo) _ The Imperial Household Agency organized a nature-observing event in the Imperial Palace's Fukiage woodland area on Friday, allowing the general public to walk through the area for the first time.
A total of 100 people in three groups walked a 1-kilometer route in the 25-hectare park, which abounds in natural beauty, and has been left almost untouched for about 70 years, agency officials said. The visitors were selected via a lottery from among more than 30,000 applicants seeking to take part in the rare event..............
Imperial Palace opens Fukiage area to public for 1st time
 
These are wonderful news. People will be able to know a site only reserved to nobility. It could be possitive, for the Imperial Family will be closer to Japanese people.

Vanesa.
 
Part of imperial villa to open to public

Hundreds of hectares of wilderness attached to the Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture will be opened to the public at the request of Emperor Akihito, it was announced Tuesday.
The emperor requested that about half of the 1,200-hectare property be opened up so ordinary people can have contact with nature, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The wilderness area lies to the north of the imperial property. It likely will be opened as early as fiscal 2011, officials said..............
asahi.com : Part of imperial villa to open to public - ENGLISH
 
"We're sorry, this Video is no longer available"

1984 NHK...Showa emperor
Sorry, there is no English Sub.


Niname Festival at ise jingu

He prays for the nation through the night


it is the most important ceremony of Japan's constraction






.

Wow, I get this message when I click on each and every video in your list:

"We're sorry, this Video is no longer available".

Now, is there somewhere else where one can go to view these, please?

Thanks,

-- Abbie
 
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Me likey the top link, the best!


Nice work, Mandy!

Now, are there more pics of the NEWLY remodeled Togu Palace perhaps?

Nice "digs" that Masako and Family live in, though ... Very spacious.

Hard to feel too trapped in that, I should think ...

-- Abbie
 
Nice work, Mandy!

Now, are there more pics of the NEWLY remodeled Togu Palace perhaps?

Nice "digs" that Masako and Family live in, though ... Very spacious.

Hard to feel too trapped in that, I should think ...

-- Abbie
pics in the 1st link is already the newly remodeled Togu Palace

it's actually quite hard to find photos of the inside of Togu Palace....we definitly see more of the inside from their birthday photos and video
 
Thank You :)

Naka-Kurumayose(Subterranean Entrance)

This entrance is located above the basement parking lot of Chowa-Den.
There is a shining wall made of glass blocks in order to let the light in.
The Japanese name of shining wall is "O-yashima".
This is a way of calling with old "Japan."

Oh my Goodness, what hard work you went to, to post all of these pics for the rest of us :eek:

I am impressed.

Thanks!

I love the open, clean, spacious design of the various palaces, don't you?

Very modern-appearing but at the same time, very traditional too ...

Odd, to my mind, that these appear to coexist.

-- Abbie
 
Well, it's definitely a Japanese palace. I do love the way the imperial family has modernised itself without losing its identity over the last century.
 
I share entirely your opinion. They modernized their lifestyle, but in a "Japanese way". There is people who thinks that "modernize" ity's a synonime of "Westernize" or better , of "Americanized".

Japanese family seems to have found a great equilibre between modernity and old ways. :flowers:

Vanesa.
 
An interesting 1985 documentary on the Japanese Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Royal Grounds of the Last Remaining Emperor on Earth. At one point, at least on paper, the Imperial Palace's real estate was worth more than the entire state of California.

YouTube - part 1
YouTube - part 2
 
Thank you to everyone who posted the photos.

I have a question, where do Emperor & Empress live? & also Crown Princely family?
 
The Imperial Palace in Tokyo from inside

How is the Imperial complex composed?
What animal and plant life can be found in the Imperial gardens?
How are subway lines affected by the Palace central location?
Can the public use the Imperial Household hospital inside the Palace?
Is it true that Imperial Guards can compose the traditional poems, arrange the flowers and conduct tea ceremonies?

A really interesting article in Japan Times :flowers:
 
Thank you to everyone who posted the photos.

I have a question, where do Emperor & Empress live? & also Crown Princely family?

Akihito and Michiko live in the Shin Fukiage Gosho 新吹上御所 (New Fukiage Palace). Hirohito and Nagako lived in Fukiage Gosho 吹上御所 (Fukiage Palace) but after the death of Hirohito, Nagako continued to live in the Fukiage Gosho that the palace was renamed as the Omiya Gosho 大宮御所 (the empress dowager's palace). In order to differenciate the old Fukiage Gosho which was renamed as the Omiya Gosho, the new palace built in the Fukiage Gyoen 吹上御苑 (Fukiage Imperial Garden) is, as above, called the Shin Fukiage Gosho. Currently, the old Fukiage Gosho (the Omiya Gosho) is not in use.

At first, Hirohito and Nagako lived in the Meiji Kyuden 明治宮殿 (the Meiji Palace) in the Nishi no maru (the west walled section) of the old Edo Castle but this palace was burned down in 1945 due to the US air raid of Tokyo. After the loss of the Meiji Palace, the imperial couple moved in the Obunko 御文庫 (literally it means a book storage building) in the Fukiage Gyoen due to the Obunko's structure being concrete which served as an air raid shelter.

There was a talk re: building a new palace for Hirohito and his family straight after the WWII but Hirohito declined this offer and continued to live in the Obunko. The reason for this was, according to his Lord Chamberlain Sukemasa Irie, the HM felt it was not appropriate to spend the government budget for such an expensive construction whilst the nation was still not quite recovered from the damages caused by the war.

In 1968, the Fukiage Palace was completed and in 1969 the imperial couple moved in.

Akihito and Michiko lived in their palace which was called the Togu Gosho 東宮御所 (the crown prince's palace) in the Akasaka Goyochi 赤坂御用地 (Akasaka Imperial ground) during they were the crown prince and crown princess but after the Hirohito's demise it was renamed as the Akasaka Gosho 赤坂御所 (Akasaka Palace). In 1993, they moved in the Shin Fukiage Gosho.

Narihito and his family live in the Togu Gosho in the Akasaka Goyochi.



 
Is it true that Imperial Guards can compose the traditional poems, arrange the flowers and conduct tea ceremonies?

A really interesting article in Japan Times :flowers:

The Imperial Guards is called Kogu Keisatsu 皇宮警察 which means the imperial palace police which comes under the Keisatsu Cho 警察庁 (National Police Agency) but not under the Jiei tai 自衛隊 (self defence force). I thought that it would be important to point out that the Emperor of Japan has no involvement in the Japanese armed forces post WWII.
 
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