The State Guest House, Akasaka Palace has had various names according to its function in different eras. By tracing the changes we can unravel the history of the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace.
The Crown Prince’s Palace
The history of the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace began as the Crown Prince’s Palace, constructed in 1909. The palace was designed to be the residence of the Crown Prince at the time. The construction was overseen by Dr. Tōkuma Katayama, the leading palace architect whose work included the Hyokeikan building at Tokyo National Museum and Meiji Kotokan at Kyoto National Museum.
Main Gate(original)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
When the palace was first built the front entrance was black with a crown depicted above the chrysanthemum crest.
Main Gate(winter)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The black was painted over with white paint during the extensive renovation in the Shōwa period.
According to the “State Guest House, Akasaka Palace Renovation Records”, it seems that the repainting was a major decision taken by Tōgo Murano who supervised the renovation, saying: “Changing the look of the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace was the biggest challenge and the most difficult job (for me).”
The crown above the chrysanthemum crest is believed to have been removed prior to the visit of the British Crown Prince in 1922, although the reason remains unknown.
Main Building(original)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The Main Building and the Front Garden when the palace was first built, with a pebble-covered driveway in the middle of the way leading up to the Main Building and flanked by concrete walkways.
Front GardenAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
It looked completely different back then, since major renovation was done in the Shōwa period, including the narrowing of the driveway in the middle, the addition of a sideroad, and the installation of the middle gate.
Prince of WalesAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Akasaka Palace
In 1914 the Crown Prince’s Palace was relocated to the Takanawa Imperial Residence, thus giving the former palace the new name, Akasaka (detached) Palace. In 1922 the Akasaka Palace saw its first guest, the British Crown Prince.
The British Crown Prince is seen here waving his hand from the balcony above the carriage entrance to the crowd waving British flags to welcome him.
This image provides invaluable information about the palace, showing that it had already been used to host guests before it became a guest reception facility.
The Crown Prince’s Provisional Palace
In 1924, Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Shōwa) married Princess Nobuko Kuninomiya and the palace became their new residence, thus acquiring the new name, the Crown Prince’s Provisional Palace. The photo is of the postcard made for the commemoration of the wedding. The Kasumigaseki (detached) Palace they were meant to begin their life as newly-weds was extensively damaged during the Great Kanto Earthquake that occurred in September 1923, forcing them to live at the earthquake-proof Akasaka Palace until 1928. The name of the palace reverted to its former name, Akasaka Palace, after Emperor Shōwa relocated to the present-day Imperial Palace (known as Kyūjō at the time).
Akasaka Palace under the management of the National Diet
In 1948, the buildings and land at Akasaka Palace were transferred from Imperial Household assets to administrative assets and fell under the management of the National Diet. The photo shows the palace being used as the National Diet Library between 1948 and 1961. The palace was also later used as a governmental facility to house the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee and other administrative bodies.
Court(Sairan no Ma)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Sairan no Ma was used as the Judge Impeachment Court between 1948 and 1970.
The State Guest House, Akasaka Palace
With international relations becoming closer, leading to more opportunities to welcoming foreign guests, Akasaka Palace was remodelled in 1974 and became a State Guest House. As the name Akasaka Palace had long been a familiar name among the Japanese, it was retained in the new name—State Guest House, Akasaka Palace. The photo shows the ceiling painting inside Hagoromo no Ma under restoration. The remodelling was directed by one of the great architects from the Shōwa period, Tōgo Murano. While utilizing the inherent quality of the original palace, he put great efforts into creating a cosy atmosphere for a building that was to house the private quarters of guests.
Large-scale renovation (Showa)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
During the remodelling of the roof, a temporary storage shed was created to protect the building’s decorations and paintings.
Large-scale renovation (Showa)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Restoration was done as true to the original state when the building was constructed as possible.
The State Guest House, Akasaka Palace with two functions
The State Guest House, Akasaka Palace was designated a National Treasure in 2009, a first for any building constructed after the Meiji period, and opened to the public all year round in 2016. The palace that began as the Crown Prince’s Palace functions not only as a guest reception facility for diplomatic relations, it also functions as a cultural asset available to the public. The history of the palace continues here and beyond.
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The Main Building can be viewed from the front garden.
Support: Amana Hiraga（Adjunct associate professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology）
Photography: Tadashi Okochi
※some photos are collection of State Guest House and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Translation by Eddy Y. L. Chang
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