Well, head to the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2nd 2014 between 9.30am and 2.30pm and you can see the Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince and Princess, Prince and Princess Akishino and their young daughter, at a rare public appearance at the traditional New Year Greeting.
The Imperial family will appear five times during the day, at around 10.10am, 11am, 11.50am, 1.30pm and 2.10pm, behind bullet-proof glass on the veranda of the modern Chowaden building overlooking Kyūden Tōtei Plaza. Entrance to the inner palace grounds is by joining the queues at the main gate, Nijubashi, beyond the double bridge, before 2.10pm and walking through the gardens. Thousands of visitors are expected and will cheer ‘banzai!’ – long life – as they hear the Emperor’s greeting.
Akihito has just celebrated his 80th birthday and has surprised the country by announcing details of his own funeral arrangements, a relatively modest cremation. He is the 125th Japanese emperor, and will be succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, who in turn will probably himself be succeeded by his nephew, Prince Hisahito, as he has only daughters who are not yet eligible to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne – the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world is facing a crisis in that male heirs are in short supply.
The palace was originally the Shogun’s castle, but nowadays the Imperial family live in more modern quarters on the site which is just 10 minutes’ walk from Tokyo Station. The inner palace gardens are only open to the public twice a year, at the New Year and on the Emperor’s birthday, although the public can visit the East Gardens most days of the week. It is also possible to visit the palace grounds, tours are most weekdays at 10am and 1.30pm, last an hour and a quarter and are free of charge – more information here.
If you would like to learn more about the imperial family and its history, the palace or its gardens, why not book your own expert Tokyo tour guide to show you the very best of the city’s sights? Prices for up to 8 hours are US$353.
About the author: Tara
The travel professional with years of experience in the travel industry – in guiding, reservations, operations, contracting, customer service and product development – and have travelled extensively in Asia and Eastern Europe not just on holiday but also for work, inspecting hotels, visiting attractions and seeing exactly what each destination has to offer. The only way I could do this properly was with my own guide, car and driver and this inspired me to create my own range of customised private day tours for other people to be able to explore in-depth and learn to love their destination as much as I do.
Website: www.readyclickandgo.com
Website: http://www.readyclickandgo.com
