a building in the east courtyard, Imperial Palace, Kyoto.
the roof is traditional; made with layers of cedar bark that weather for 70 years before they are replaced. The Imperial Palace at Kyoto is the official home of the royal family of Japan. This building was once a kitchen for the larger buildings of the central courtyard. The entire compound has burned and been rebuilt several times, most recently in the early 1900s.
a pathway into the emperess' garden.
the bridge spans a small stream. In the 18th century, the royal family would host poetry parties in this garden, as depicted in the screen paintings on site. Guests would sit along the stream and catch a floating boat, which carried a theme around which they would compose a poem on the spot. If the poem was not well received they couldn't partake in the sake that turn!
the emperor's garden.
the emperor sat behind the sreen rolled up at the top of the photo.
this is one of the oldest rooms in the palace, decorated in the Chinese style that was the original inspiration for the palace. He sat on the bed with the curtain drawn and met with his visitors who sat on the other side. Most guests were not allowed past the porch you see in front.
many of the buildings have gold ornamentation on the roofline.
this is the side entrance to the building that houses the thrones.
the thrones were flown to Tokyo for the last coronation ceremony, and then returned to their traditional home. The royal capital was moved to Tokyo after world war II at the insistence of the U.S.
side entrance into the main courtyard.
the white stones, as in China, reflected the light up from the courtyard into the dark buildings.
