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| Above, the Nijubashi Bridge. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Ever wanted to enter the Imperial Palace (home of the Emperor of Japan) grounds but thought this impossible (except by invitation)?
Japan Today has posted an article on visiting the Imperial Palace grounds and when.
They start it with:
TOKYO —Other than the Imperial Palace East Garden, which is open daily, the Imperial Palace Grounds are open to the general public, via Nijubashi Bridge, only two days of the year: on the Emperor’s Birthday (Dec 23) and New Year’s (Jan 2).
On both occasions, after completion of a security check, each visitor is given a paper Japanese flag and passes across the 19th century stone bridge and the Nijubishi Bridge behind it to gather in a large courtyard outside the Imperial Palace itself, a building constructed in the 1960s. The emperor and several members of his family appear on a glass enclosed balcony at fixed times throughout the day and the emperor delivers a short, formal greeting to the crowd, which responds by waiving the Japanese flags.
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| Above, one of the gates to the Imperial Palace property. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
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