Here is a guide to the facilities that you can visit at the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace, which, after being built in the Meiji period and having been extensively renovated during the Shōwa and Heisei periods, now serves as a venue for hosting guests.
State Guest HouseAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Main Building of the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace
The Main Building at the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace is the only Neo-Baroque European Palace in Japan. Built with a steel framework for reinforcement, the brick building is covered with granite panels on the outside and has 2 floors above ground and 1 below. The Neo-Baroque style began during the Second Empire of Napoleon III in the latter half of the 19th century and featured a symmetric façade and splendid decorative elements. The building was built with the prevention of disasters in the event of an earthquake from the beginning, with steel frames installed inside the walls both horizontally and vertically, as well as steel parts under the floor to ensure the building can endure earthquakes and fires. In fact, it withstood the Great Kantō Earthquake which occurred after its construction, and continues to stand with a commanding presence more than 100 years later.
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Front Garden(early summer)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The two wings (East Wing and West Wing) of the front side of the Main Building extend out toward the north. At the end of each wing is an entrance, with the East Entrance said to have once been reserved for His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince,
while the West Entrance was reserved for Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess.
At the centre of façade on the second floor are composite columns and Ionic pilasters intentionally used to enhance the central section of the floor.
The accentuated horizontal protrusion layer on the first floor and the façade on the second floor demarcated by the Ionic pilasters make a characteristic contrast.
Fountain(summer)Akasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The Main Building viewed from the main garden to the south.
In the central section there is a pediment supported by the composite columns.
The first floor is made up of a series of arches making an arcade, while the walls follow the same horizontal protrusions as on the north side. The second floor comprises a colonnade of more than one rank deep.
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Entrance Hall
The Entrance Hall is the area in which guests such as state and official guests visiting the State Guest House, Akasaka Palace first set foot. It is also where they first meet His Majesty the Emperor or the Prime Minister.
Main EntranceAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Guests enter the Main Building through these doors.
Above the doors is the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial Household.
Main Entrance HallAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Upon entering the Entrance Hall, guests are greeted by a white wall that continues up to the ceiling.
Tōgo Murano , who oversaw the extensive renovation during the Shōwa period, strived to create this whiteness to balance the overall brightness of the building. Murano’s concept was to bring out the warmth of the pure white colour that reminds one of blend-looking official buildings by creating his own unique colour with the idea of “making white seem white, not making white look white.”
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Main Entrance HallAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The floor is laid out in a chequered pattern using black and white marble.
This was done by referencing the floor at Grand Trianon, a château (palace) of the Palace of Versailles. The marble stone was completely replaced during the major renovation in the Shōwa period.
Central Staircase
Guests ascend this staircase in the middle of the Main Building up to the second floor. The walls flanking the central staircase are covered in red marble stone.
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It appears that red and green marble stones were used alternately to cover the walls when the building was first constructed, but the colour was unified during the extensive renovations in the Shōwa period to brighten up ambience of the entire building.
Grand StaircaseAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Sunset is depicted to pair with the rising sun above the top landing of the staircase.
The sunset sees off guests as they leave.
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This is the scenery seen by the guests upon leaving.
Grand StaircaseAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The Corinthian pilasters are made of stucco.
This was to demonstrate technical sophistication when the building was first constructed.
Sunset is depicted to pair with the rising sun above the top landing of the staircase.
The sunset sees off guests as they leave.
Kacho no Ma
The Kacho no Ma (Hall of Flowers and Birds) is used to host official events such as banquets for invited guests.
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Kacho no MaAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
The walls are covered by reddish-brown shioji wood (Fraxinus spaethiana) panels that extrude profound ambience, while the decorations are of the Henry II style characteristic in its patterns and designs of straight lines and parallel lines that were in vogue in France during the latter half of the 16th century.
Sairan no MaAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Sairan no Ma
Sairan no Ma is used for treaty signing ceremonies, summit meetings, and many others.
The decor of the interior is of the Empire style in fashion in France during the Monarchical Period of Napoleon I, featuring many military motifs and a classical style of grandeur.
State Guest HouseAkasaka Palace (The State Guest House)
Support: Amana Hiraga（Adjunct associate professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology）
Photography: Tadashi Okochi
Video:DJI Japan corp.
Edit: CEKAI
Translation by Eddy Y. L. Chang
