Kyôto Imperial Palace

京都御所 kyōto-gosho

Kyōto Imperial Palace was the residence of the emperor of Japan for most of its history. This began with the Heian period (794–1185/1192), when the imperial capital moved from Heijō-kyō, now Nara City, to Heian-kyō, now Kyōto City. Its function as an official residence ended with the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), when Emperor Mutsuhito (1852-1912) moved his seat from Kyôto to Edo, now Tôkyô Imperial Palace. Since its creation at the beginning of the Heian period in 794, the official residence of the emperor has been destroyed by fire several times and then rebuilt. Today’s buildings, perfectly reproduced in the style of Heian-era architecture, date from 1855.