Tokyo Core - The Imperial Palace and the East Gardens

Tokyo, formerly known as Edo, has been the political center of Japan since Tokugawa Ieyasu established his shogunate here. At that time, the Tokugawa clan built a huge Edo Castle in Edo, which had a population of nearly one million at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, making it one of the largest cities in the world at that time. With the relocation of Emperor Meiji to Edo, Edo was renamed Tokyo due to the presence of the emperor, becoming the political, economic and cultural center of Japan, and the Edo Castle, which once served as the shogunate's residence, also became the Imperial Palace where the emperor lived. As the Japanese emperor still lives today, the Imperial Palace is still the residence of the imperial family and is therefore not open to the public. People can only see the Nijubashi Bridge across the moat. In the heart of such a large capital of a modern developed country, there is such a mysterious place that is unknown and unexplored, which makes people feel a sense of disconnection. Perhaps this is what is called an incomplete revolution. The square in front of the Nijubashi Bridge of the Imperial Palace is not hardened, but is covered with white gravel. Walking on it makes a rustling sound. It is said that this was deliberately done when Edo Castle was built, with white gravel surrounding the entire city. In this way, even ninjas known for their light work could not sneak into the city without making a sound. The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on the east side of the Imperial Palace is a royal garden donated to society by the emperor after the war, and is also part of the original Edo Castle. Entering the city from the huge stone wall, you can see the houses where the samurai lived during the Tokugawa period. Entering the inner city, you can see a huge stone base, which is the site of the former Edo Castle tower. After the Tokugawa clan destroyed the Toyotomi clan, they built a tower in Edo Castle that was more majestic and tall than Osaka Castle, which was the grand scene in Japan at that time. Unfortunately, this tower was destroyed in a fire less than half a century after it was built. Now, standing on the base of the tower, you can see the high-rise buildings in Marunouchi through the lush trees of the garden, which adds a sense of time and change. The East Gardens is a complete Japanese garden, with precious flowers and trees from Japan's 47 prefectures, making it a botanical garden where plants from all over Japan gather. In the Kitanomaru in the north of the garden, there is the famous Nippon Budokan, which is the venue for sumo wrestling, Japan's national sport, and also a famous concert venue. Next to the Budokan, on the bank of the moat, is the famous cherry blossom viewing spot - Chidorigafuchi.