A great example of things NOT being what they seem. What happens when you put things into your own cultural perspective and miss the whole thing.
Not the WHOLE thing.... But a huge part of it.
We headed to the Imperial Palace first thing during our sodden full day of Kyoto sightseeing. By crowded subway. So the Emperor resided at the Imperial Palace from the 8th century until the beginning of the Edo period (1868).
Edo in an older name for the city known as Tokyo. Japan has a whole thing about dates....later
The Palace originally was located at another location in Kyoto (beginning at the 8th century). The Palace (built of wood) apparently burned down from time to time and, during the times that the Palace was being reconstructed, the Emperor's Court would move to a home of one of the nobles that lived in this district.
From the pamphlet "Kyoto Imperial Palace"
The Imperial Palace was situated in a fixed place, called the dairi, which was rebuilt every time it was destroyed by fire. While the Imperial Palace was being rebuilt, it was customary for the Emperor to move Temporarily to the residences of member of the aristocracy. Later on, this custom came to be called saito-dairi. In the late Heiean period, the dairi was not frequently used and the sato-dairi came to be used as the de facto Imperial Palace. During this period, the dairi was destroyed time after time by fire and warfare. It eventually fell into utter ruin, never to be rebuilt again.
This became the official site in the 14th century. The noble families had their homes located around the Imperial Palace.
The court moved to Edo in the 19th century.
So, I saw this large park-like area with the walled Imperial Palace in the middle. I thought it was similar to the grounds around the State Capitol or other government building. We had heard that there was an English language tour at 9:30am; we were early. We made our way to a gate that with official looking people (the Gishu-mon Gate). They told us that we must have official permission, we needed to go to the office of the Imperial Household Agency at the edge of the park and obtain this permission. We do, it involves our passports, etc. Go back in the pouring rain and wait to be let in. Take the tour which goes around the outside of the buildings. The first picture shows Dennis and Nobuko waiting for the officials (who meant business) to let us in.
An interesting aside, it's hard to fine a trash can in Japan. I had a small candy wrapper in my pocket. As I bent over to pick something up, Nobuko gave a little shriek. The small candy wrapper had fallen out of my pocket onto the ground (!). Litter! I promptly picked it up. Look at the picture, you see ANY stuff laying around on the ground?
So after tour we're wet and freezing, we stop at the Nakadachiuri North Rest House for some tofu and noodles and leave by the Nakadachiuri-gomon Gate and catch a taxi.
Later that evening, I looked at another leaflet that Nobuiko had picked up (in English!) that told a much richer story. From the pamphlet:
Before that (beginning of the Edo Period) its streets were lined with the households of some 200 court nobles who comprised an artistocratic township. In 1869, most of the aristocrats relocated to Tokyo when the hub of the government shifted there, and the area surrounding the Gosho quickly became dilapidated. When the Emperor returned in 1877, he was grieved by the state the area had fallen and issued a decree to preserve the Gosho and restore its original beauty.
In the inside of the pamphlet is large detailed map (which I've included, somehow I couldn't get the color correction to map). All through this park are sites of the ruins of these aristocrat homes:
Remains of the Ichijo Residence
Remains of the Konoe Residence
Remains of the Salonji Residence
etc
So what's there? Can you really see where these homes were? Now that I know this, I would love to go back and look. A whole neighborhood? Also some other palaces.
The government has also included some playgrounds and ball fields emulating western style parks.
But, underneath, it's SOOO different.
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