Kyoto

Kyoto Imperial Palace

A tour through the Edo Period's imperial residence

Anne Lauenroth Oct 10, 2015 - 1分钟阅读时间

<p>Vermillion gates and stormy skies</p>

<p>Although there are no people in the pictures, there were actually about 100 of us in the group</p>

<p>Looks like a gate to a secret garden</p>

The Imperial Palace in Kyoto served as the emperors' residence during the Edo Period in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. It is not possible to enter the buildings, but the palace grounds can be visited on a guided tour (English tours are available). Tours take around an hour and are free, but it is necessary to make a reservation with the Imperial Household Agency in advance.

When I visited in July 2015, a typhoon was on its way, making for some dramatic skies that contrasted beautifully with the vermillion color of the gates.

Anne Lauenroth @anne.lauenroth

German writer, translator and editor with a passion for travel, photography and all things Japanese. More about me and my work on www.allwordz.com and www.floating-worlds.com.