Imperial Kyoto

Kyoto is Japan’s ancient capital, with more than 1,200 years of history.

In 794, Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyō, the city that would later become Kyoto.

The site was considered suitable according to Shijin Sōō, an ancient geomantic principle concerned with the harmony of the surrounding landscape and the four directions. The city itself was carefully planned in a grid of north–south and east–west streets, following the model of the great capitals of China’s Tang dynasty. The influence of that original design can still be seen in the streets of central Kyoto today.

For more than a thousand years, Kyoto remained home to Japan’s emperors and the imperial court, until Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo in 1869.

Today, visitors from Japan and around the world come to Kyoto to experience the temples, shrines, historic streets, crafts, and cuisine that developed over those centuries.

At the heart of this history is the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

The Japanese word gosho refers to an imperial residence—a place where the emperor lived and where court ceremonies were held. The Kyoto Imperial Palace served as the emperor’s home until the imperial capital moved to Tokyo during the Meiji era.

The present site began to be used as the Imperial Palace in 1331. Over the centuries, fires destroyed parts of the palace, and its buildings were reconstructed many times. Most of the buildings standing today date from the reconstruction of 1855.

The Shishinden is the palace’s most important ceremonial hall. The enthronement ceremonies of Emperors Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa were held in the present building. Inside are the Takamikura, the throne used by the emperor, and the Michōdai, the seat used by the empress during the ceremony.

Kyoto is more than a destination of historic temples and beautiful gardens.

It was once the city where Japan’s emperors lived and where imperial traditions and ceremonies took place.

The Kyoto Imperial Palace is one of the places where that history can still be encountered today.