The pinnacle of Meiji architecture and art! State Guest House Akasaka Imperial Villa

In 2009, Akasaka Palace State Guest House was the first cultural property since the Meiji era to be designated a National Treasure. The State Guest House is a diplomatic venue that welcomes state guests and official guests, but it has been open to the public since April 2016. The two gardens, the main garden and the front garden, which are reminiscent of old European castles, are recommended for strolling

Stroll through the main garden, modeled after the Palace of Versailles

The photo shows the main building of the State Guest House as seen from the flowerbed in the main garden. It is a neo-baroque building with two above-ground floors and one basement. It was originally built in 1909 (Meiji 42) as the Crown Prince's Palace, and took 10 years to complete. The grounds of Akasaka Palace State Guest House were the site of the Kishu Domain's second residence during the Edo period, and where the State Guest House now stands was once home to a mansion called the Aoyama Palace. After the Imperial Palace was destroyed by fire in 1873 (Meiji 6), the Aoyama Palace served as the temporary Imperial Palace until 1888 (Meiji 21)

The view from the fountain in the main garden resembles the Palace of Versailles in France. The court architect who designed it, Katayama Tokuma, designed the exterior in a neo-baroque style. The Togu Palace was originally the residence of the Crown Prince, but it was not actually used much because it was too extravagant and the marble mansion was too humid and muggy in the summer and too cold in the winter. It was later renamed Akasaka Palace, and after a major renovation in March 1974, it was reborn as a guest house. The construction cost 10.8 billion yen and took five years

In the main garden, there are trees planted in commemoration of state guests. The trees planted by former Soviet President Gorbachev and US President Ford are next to each other. Incidentally, President Ford was the first state guest to visit the State Guest House. He visited Japan in November 1974 (Showa 49)

Relax at the open cafe in the front garden of the State Guest House

This is the front garden of the State Guest House. This is the view seen directly ahead from the main gate. It is said to be modeled after Schönburg Palace in Austria. The main garden with its fountain is at the back of this. The view from this front garden will be the last part of your tour of the State Guest House. This is because you do not enter the main building and garden of the State Guest House from the main gate, but from the west gate, which is located diagonally to the right after going around to the main gate. You enter from the west gate, and your tour of the main building begins behind the right edge of the screen. The exit for the main building is also in the same place. Once you have finished touring the main building and main garden, you go through the front garden and exit through the main gate

The front yard is lined with mobile cafe wagons, creating a spacious open-air cafe. There is also a shop selling merchandise that is only available at the State Guest House

From December 23rd to 25th, 2017, tours were held, with visitors entering through the central entrance hall of the main building. The entrance is usually closed when state guests or official guests visit the State Guest House, but it is sometimes opened for a limited time. Also, on this occasion, night tours were also held, although tour reception usually ends at 4:00 PM

This is the main building of the State Guest House during a night tour. You can see from the photo the long line of people heading towards the entrance hall. The building was also lit up during the tour

This is the front garden of the State Guest House the day after a heavy snowfall in Tokyo. Snow had also piled up on the balcony above the entrance hall. Now, regarding tours of the State Guest House, no reservation is required to visit just the garden. There is a limit to the number of visitors allowed inside the main building, so if you want to be sure to see it, it is best to make a reservation in advance. Applications can be made on the Cabinet Office/Akasaka Palace State Guest House website. You can also check the dates on which tours are available on the Akasaka Palace State Guest House website

INFORMATION

If you're visiting the State Guest House, be sure to check out the Meiji Memorial Hall!

The main building of the Meiji Memorial Hall can be seen on the left side of the photo. In fact, this building was originally a dining hall built in 1881 on the site of the current State Guest House. At the time, the former Aoyama Palace of the Kishu Domain was being used as a temporary imperial palace, and the current Main Building of the Meiji Memorial Hall was adjacent to it. At the time, dinner parties for foreign dignitaries were held here. In a sense, it was the first State Guest House built in the Meiji era. Currently, it is used as a banquet hall and lounge called "Kinkei" in the "Kinkei Room."

Meiji Memorial Hall is a comprehensive wedding hall located a five-minute walk from JR Shinanomachi Station. The "Kinkei no Ma" room can be used as a cafe or restaurant unless it is reserved exclusively for a wedding or other banquet. From here, it's about a 15-minute walk to the west gate of Akasaka Palace State Guest House. It might be fun to enjoy tea time at the State Guest House built in 1881 before heading on a tour of the State Guest House built in the Showa era

INFORMATION

How was it?

Photography is prohibited inside the main building of the State Guest House, so we have only shown the main garden and front garden. Please see the inside of the main building for yourself. Curators are available to answer questions at the viewing spots, and announcements with information about the building are broadcast at each spot. Even if you have no knowledge of architecture or art, you will no doubt enjoy your visit

Jun Nambara

Writer, screenwriter, animation producer. He wrote and directed the drama CD ``The Rose of Versailles,'' supervised by Riyoko Ikeda, and has written many books, including ``Onmyoji ``Abe Seimei'' (Futami Shobo). He is also attracting attention as a travel writer who works as a tour conductor on weekends. His hobby is visiting the sacred places of anime, dramas, and movies.