Tokyo Art University
The Imperial Palace is home to the Emperor of Japan Akihito, and the Empress Michiko. The palace is also a major Tokyo tourist attraction for both its historical and cultural significance, as well as its scenic setting and surrounding gardens.
The History of the Tokyo Imperial Palace
The Imperial Palace is on the former grounds of the Edo Castle, where warriors—the shogunate--lived from the 17th to 19th centuries. During the Meiji Restoration of the late 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate came to an end and imperial rule was restored.
Prince Tokugawa Yoshinobu—the last shogun—had to vacate the castle. The Emperor then left the Kyoto Imperial Palace for Tokyo, and renamed the Edo Castle, Tokyo Castle, which was subsequently renamed Imperial Castle. After fires destroyed some of the grounds, the area became the site of the new Imperial Palace, building of which was completed in 1888.