99-702: The Tokyo Imperial Palace ( 皇居 , Kōkyo , literally 'Imperial Residence') is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan . It is a large park -like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the Fukiage Palace ( 吹上御所 , Fukiage gosho ) where the Emperor has his living quarters, the main palace ( 宮殿 , Kyūden ) where various ceremonies and receptions take place, some residences of
198-737: A deity ). Following Japan's surrender, the Allies issued the Shinto Directive separating church and state within Japan. In 1946, Emperor Shōwa was forced to proclaim the Humanity Declaration , but the declaration excludes the word arahitogami ( 現人神 ) , including the unusual word akitsumikami ( 現御神 , living god) instead. As such, some experts doubt whether his divinity was renounced. Jean Herbert said it would be inadmissible to deny his divine origin. Emperor Shōwa
297-488: A 20 mm hit to the chest and died 30 minutes later. Tail gunner Sgt. John Houston destroyed one attacker. The lead bomber, Consolidated B-32-20-CF Dominator , 42-108532 , "Hobo Queen II", piloted by 1st Lt. James Klein, was not seriously damaged but the second Consolidated B-32-35-CF Dominator , 42-108578 , lost an engine, had the upper turret knocked out of action, and partially lost rudder control. Both bombers landed at Yontan Airfield just past ~1800 hrs. having survived
396-599: A ceremonial head of state without even nominal political powers. For example, the emperor is the head of the Japanese honors system , conferring orders, decorations, medals, and awards in the name of the state and on behalf of its people in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the emperor and other members of the imperial family have resided at the Imperial Palace , located on
495-526: A defected Kamakura general. The short three-year period during which the power was directly in the hand of the emperor is called the Kenmu Restoration . The direct ruling of the emperor proved however inefficient and ultimately failed, with Takauji grabbing political power for himself. In July 1853, Commodore Perry 's Black Ships of the US Navy made their first visit to Edo Bay . Japan lacked
594-590: A direct descendant of Amaterasu and of utmost importance in the Shinto religion and sentimental traditions. Thus no shogun tried to usurp the emperor, instead they tried to keep the emperor under control and away from politics. However, the emperor still had the power to "control time" via the Japanese Nengō which names eras on calendars after emperors. Bombing of Tokyo Second Sino-Japanese War The bombing of Tokyo ( 東京空襲 , Tōkyō kūshū )
693-572: A dormitory for imperial princesses, however this building was removed prior to the construction of the present gardens. Other buildings such as stables and housing were removed to create the East Garden in its present configuration. Construction work began in 1961 with a new pond in the Ninomaru, as well as the repair and restoration of various keeps and structures from the Edo period. On 30 May 1963,
792-510: A large X pattern centered in Tokyo's densely populated working class district near the docks in both Koto and Chūō city wards on the water; later aircraft simply aimed near this flaming X. The individual fires caused by the bombs joined to create a general conflagration , which would have been classified as a firestorm but for prevailing winds gusting at 17 to 28 mph (27 to 45 km/h). Approximately 15.8 square miles (4,090 ha) of
891-675: A million residents lost their homes. The Tokyo Fire Department estimated a higher toll: 97,000 killed and 125,000 wounded. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department established a figure of 83,793 dead and 40,918 wounded and 286,358 buildings and homes destroyed. Historian Richard Rhodes put deaths at over 100,000, injuries at a million and homeless residents at a million. These casualty and damage figures could be low; Mark Selden wrote in Japan Focus : The figure of roughly 100,000 deaths, provided by Japanese and American authorities, both of whom may have had reasons of their own for minimizing
990-519: A minister in order to take effect, thus passing political responsibility to the minister. By contrast, Japan is one of only two such sovereign states where the monarch is not even the nominal chief executive; the other is Sweden . Rather, Article 65 of the Constitution of Japan explicitly vests executive authority in the Cabinet , of which the prime minister is the leader. The emperor
1089-510: A plastic pole as weapons when faced by staff and local police officers. A similar incident took place in 2013, in which two drunken tourists decided to try to sneak into the palace building after removing their clothing and entering the water near Sakurada Gate . The Imperial Palace ( 宮殿 , Kyūden ) and the headquarters of the Imperial Household Agency are located in the former Nishinomaru enceinte ( West Citadel ) of
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#17327829739281188-400: A rough range of 75,000 to 200,000 deaths. Donald L. Miller , citing Knox Burger , stated that there were "at least 100,000" Japanese deaths and "about one million" injured. The entire bombing campaign against Japan killed more than 300,000 people and injured an additional 400,000, mostly civilians. After the war, Tokyo struggled to rebuild. In 1945 and 1946, the city received a share of
1287-554: A short speech greeting and thanking the visitors and wishing them good health and blessings. Parts of the Fukiage garden are sometimes open to the general public. The old Honmaru , Ninomaru , and Sannomaru compounds now comprise the East Gardens, an area with public access containing administrative and other public buildings. The Kitanomaru Park is located to the north and is the former northern enceinte of Edo Castle. It
1386-595: A total area of 1,254 m (13,500 sq ft). The hall is octagon-shaped and each of its eight outer walls is decorated with differently designed mosaic tiles. Construction began in August 1964 and was completed in February 1966. Symbolic trees representing each prefecture in Japan are planted in the northwestern corner of Ninomaru enceinte. Such trees have been donated from each prefecture and there are total of 260, covering 30 varieties. The small Ninomaru Garden at
1485-489: Is a public park and is the site of the Nippon Budokan . To the south is Kokyo Gaien National Garden . Though much of the site is off limits to the public, there have been multiple instances of tourists attempting to trespass on the palace grounds by swimming in the moat. In 2008, a British tourist stripped naked, repeatedly dove into and swam across the moat in an attempt to avoid being arrested, and used stones and
1584-651: Is also not the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces . Instead, the Japan Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954 explicitly vests supreme command and control in the prime minister. Nevertheless, the emperor remains Japan's internationally recognized head of state. The emperor's fundamental role within the machinery of the Japanese constitution is to perform important representational functions as "…the symbol of
1683-697: Is barred from making political statements. It is the emperor's preeminent constitutional duty to appoint the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet and the Chief Justice as designated by the Cabinet. However, the emperor does not have the authority to decline the nominations. The emperor's other responsibilities, laid down in Article 7 of the Constitution, concern the basic functioning of
1782-403: Is difficult to argue whether the raids were illegal under the international laws of the time. 16–17 February 1945: carrier-based aircraft , including dive bombers , escorted by Hellcat fighters attacked Tokyo. Over two days, over 1,500 American planes and hundreds of Japanese planes were in the air. "By the end of 17 February, more than five hundred Japanese planes, both on the ground and in
1881-529: Is given to a number of competitions such as football, judo, volleyball, and the top division yūshō winner of a sumo tournament. Although the emperor has been a symbol of continuity with the past, the degree of power exercised by the emperor has varied considerably throughout Japanese history. According to the traditional account of the Nihon Shoki , Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu 2683 years ago. However most modern scholars agree to regard Jimmu and
1980-442: Is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan . The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power". The Imperial Household Law governs the line of imperial succession . Pursuant to his constitutional role as a national symbol, and in accordance with rulings by
2079-565: Is the only remaining monarch and head of state in the world who holds the title of Emperor . Most constitutional monarchies formally vest executive power in the reigning monarch in their capacity as the head of state, who in turn is bound by either convention or statute to act on the advice of ministers responsible to the duly elected parliament. Some monarchies, such as those in Belgium , Denmark , Spain and Thailand , codify this principle by requiring royal acts to be countersigned by
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#17327829739282178-513: The Utakai Hajime is the annual poetry reading competition convened by the emperor. The emperor is supported in this function by the empress and other members of the imperial family, who have honorary patronages of many associations and organisations. They travel extensively throughout the year within the country to uphold these roles. In sports, the Emperor's Cup (天皇賜杯, Tennō shihai )
2277-607: The shōguns , or their shikken regents in Kamakura (1203–1333), were the de facto rulers of Japan, although they were nominally appointed by the emperor. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the emperor was the embodiment of all sovereign power in the realm, as enshrined in the Meiji Constitution of 1889. Since the enactment of the 1947 constitution, the role of emperor has been relegated to that of
2376-499: The 302nd Naval Air Group at Atsugi and the Yokosuka Air Group that made 10 gunnery passes. Japanese IJNAS aces Sadamu Komachi and Saburō Sakai were part of this attack. The B-32 piloted by 1st Lt. John R. Anderson, was hit at 20,000 feet; cannon fire knocked out the number two (port inner) engine, and three crew were injured, including Sgt. Anthony J. Marchione, 19, of the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron , who took
2475-678: The Akasaka Palace after the Meiji restoration, but was reconstructed in its original location in 1912. It was moved to its present location during the construction of the East Garden. The Kitanomaru Park is located to the north and is the former northern enceinte of Edo Castle. It is a public park and is the site of Nippon Budokan Hall . This garden contains a bronze monument to Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa ( 北白川宮能久親王 , Kitashirakawa-no-miya Yoshihisa-shinnō ) . The Kokyo Gaien National Garden consists of outer gardens that ring
2574-478: The Diet and thence to the electorate. Nevertheless, the emperor enjoys three rights in the conduct of state business: (a) the right to be consulted before acting on ministerial advice; (b) the right to encourage a given policy or course of administrative action; and (c) the right to warn the Cabinet against the same. In these respects, the emperor personifies the democratic state, sanctions legitimate authority, ensures
2673-469: The Fukiage Palace ( 吹上御所 , Fukiage gosho ) , the official residence of the Emperor and empress, is located in the Fukiage Garden. Designed by Japanese architect Shōzō Uchii the modern residence was completed in 1993. The residence is currently in use by Emperor Naruhito. Except for the Imperial Household Agency and the East Gardens, the main grounds of the palace are generally closed to
2772-705: The Imperial Family , an archive, museums and administrative offices. The 1.15-square-kilometer (0.44 sq mi) palace grounds and gardens are built on the site of the old Edo Castle . After the capitulation of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration , the inhabitants, including the Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu , were required to vacate the premises of the Edo Castle . Leaving the Kyoto Imperial Palace on 26 November 1868,
2871-579: The Imperial Regalia of Japan are kept here and the sanctuary plays a religious role in imperial enthronements and weddings. The East Gardens is where most of the administrative buildings for the palace are located and encompasses the former Honmaru and Ninomaru areas of Edo Castle, a total of 210,000 m (2,300,000 sq ft). Located on the grounds of the East Gardens is the Imperial Tokagakudo Music Hall,
2970-468: The Mariana Islands . B-29 raids from those islands began on 17 November 1944, and lasted until 15 August 1945, the day of Japanese surrender . Over half of Tokyo's industry was spread out among residential and commercial neighborhoods; firebombing cut the city's output in half. Some modern post-war analysts have called the raid a war crime due to the targeting of civilian infrastructure and
3069-558: The Supreme Court of Japan , the emperor is personally immune from prosecution. By virtue of his position as the head of the Imperial House , the emperor is also recognized as the head of the Shinto religion, which holds him to be the direct descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu . According to tradition, the office of emperor was created in the 7th century BC, but the first historically verifiable emperors appear around
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3168-763: The Twentieth Air Force operating out of mainland China in Operation Matterhorn under XX Bomber Command , but these could not reach Tokyo. Operations from the Northern Mariana Islands commenced in November 1944 after the XXI Bomber Command was activated there. The high-altitude bombing attacks using general-purpose bombs were observed to be ineffective by USAAF leaders due to high winds—later discovered to be
3267-638: The jet stream —which carried the bombs off target. Between May and September 1943, bombing trials were conducted on the Japanese Village set-piece target, located at the Dugway Proving Grounds . These trials demonstrated the effectiveness of incendiary bombs against wood-and-paper buildings, and resulted in Curtis LeMay 's ordering the bombers to change tactics to utilize these munitions against Japan. The first such raid
3366-520: The surrender of Japan at an underground air-raid shelter on the palace grounds referred to as His Majesty's Library ( 御文庫附属室 , Obunko Fuzokushitsu ) . Due to the large-scale destruction of the Meiji-era palace, a new main palace hall ( 宮殿 , Kyūden ) and residences were constructed on the western portion of the site in 1964–1968, designed by architect Junzō Yoshimura . The area was renamed Imperial Residence ( 皇居 , Kōkyo ) in 1948, while
3465-591: The 1950s. Between 1948 and 1951 the ashes of 105,400 people killed in the attacks on Tokyo were interred in Yokoamicho Park in Sumida Ward . A memorial to the raids was opened in the park in March 2001. The park has a list of names of people who died due to the bombings is made based on applications from bereaved families; it had 81,273 names as of March 2020. Bereaved families can submit applications to
3564-489: The 5th or 6th centuries AD . The role of the Emperor of Japan has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Since the establishment of the first shogunate in 1192, the emperors of Japan have rarely taken on a role as supreme battlefield commander, unlike many Western monarchs . Japanese emperors have nearly always been controlled by external political forces, to varying degrees. For example, between 1192 and 1867,
3663-434: The 7th–8th centuries AD. The growth of the samurai class from the 10th century gradually weakened the power of the imperial family over the realm, leading to a time of instability. Emperors are known to have come into conflict with the reigning shogun from time to time. Some instances, such as Emperor Go-Toba 's 1221 rebellion against the Kamakura shogunate and the 1336 Kenmu Restoration under Emperor Go-Daigo , show
3762-690: The Edo Castle. The main buildings of the palace grounds, including the Kyūden ( 宮殿 ) main palace, home of the liaison conference of the Imperial General Headquarters , were severely damaged by the fire of May 1945. Today's palace consists of multiple modern structures that are interconnected. The palace complex was finished in 1968 and was constructed of steel-framed reinforced concrete structures produced domestically, with two stories above ground and one story below. The buildings of
3861-475: The Emperor arrived at the Edo Castle, made it to his new residence and renamed it to Tōkei Castle ( 東京城 , Tōkei-jō ) . At this time, Tōkyō had also been called Tōkei. He left for Kyōto again, and after coming back on 9 May 1869, it was renamed to Imperial Castle ( 皇城 , Kōjō ) . Previous fires had destroyed the Honmaru area containing the old donjon (which itself burned in the 1657 Meireki fire ). On
3960-622: The Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty", and he "exercises them, according to the provisions of the present Constitution". His rights included to sanction and promulgate laws, to execute them and to exercise "supreme command of the Army and the Navy". The liaison conference created in 1893 also made the emperor the leader of the Imperial General Headquarters . On Meiji's death in 1912 and
4059-542: The House of Representatives. Extra sessions usually convene in the autumn and are opened then. The Tennō is regarded as the foremost Shintō priest in terms of religion. This sacred duty dates back to the Niiname-sai (新嘗祭, "tasting of new rice") imperial harvest festival. In this ritual, the emperor presents newly gathered rice to the gods. The celebration is known as Daijōsai (大嘗祭, "Great Tasting") and takes place in
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4158-517: The Imperial Household Agency reversed its position and decided to allow researchers to enter some of the kofun with limited time and way. In the early 7th century, the emperor had begun to be called the " Son of Heaven " ( 天子 , tenshi , or 天子様 tenshi-sama ) . The title of emperor was borrowed from China, being derived from Chinese characters, and was retroactively applied to the legendary Japanese rulers who reigned before
4257-730: The Imperial Palace were constructed by the Takenaka Corporation in a modernist style with clear Japanese architectural references such as the large, gabled hipped roof, columns and beams. The complex consists of six wings, including: Halls include the Minami-Damari , Nami-no-Ma , multiple corridors, Kita-Damari , Shakkyō-no-Ma , Shunju-no-Ma , Seiden-Sugitoe (Kaede) , Seiden-Sugitoe (Sakura) , Take-no-Ma , Ume-no-Ma and Matsu-no-Ma . Famous Nihonga artists such as Maeda Seison were commissioned to paint
4356-518: The Imperial Palace. It contain bronze monuments to Kusunoki Masashige ( 楠木正成 ) and to Wake no Kiyomaro ( 和気清麻呂 ) . Emperor of Japan Naruhito [REDACTED] Fumihito [REDACTED] Shigeru Ishiba ( LDP ) Second Ishiba Cabinet ( LDP – Komeito coalition ) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Fukushiro Nukaga Kōichirō Genba [REDACTED] Masakazu Sekiguchi Hiroyuki Nagahama Saburo Tokura Kazuo Ueda The Emperor of Japan
4455-832: The Music Department of the Board of Ceremonies of the Imperial Household, the Archives and Mausolea Department Imperial Household Agency, structures for the guards such as the Saineikan dojo , and the Museum of the Imperial Collections . Several structures that were added since the Meiji period were removed over time to allow construction of the East Garden. In 1932, the kuretake-ryō was built as
4554-522: The State and of the unity of the People, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power." He is limited to performing "acts in matters of state" as delineated by the Constitution, without even nominal powers related to government . Moreover, said acts are only exercised in accordance with the binding advice and consent of the Cabinet , which is collectively responsible to
4653-820: The Tokyo Air Raid. In 2007, 112 members of the Association for the Bereaved Families of the Victims of the Tokyo Air Raids brought a class action against the Japanese government, demanding an apology and 1.232 billion yen in compensation. Their suit charged that the Japanese government invited the raid by failing to end the war earlier, and then failed to help the civilian victims of the raids while providing considerable support to former military personnel and their families. The plaintiffs' case
4752-562: The United States. Launched at longer range than planned when the task force encountered a Japanese picket boat , all of the attacking aircraft either crashed or ditched short of the airfields designated for landing. One aircraft landed in the neutral Soviet Union where the crew was interned, but then smuggled over the border into Iran on 11 May 1943. Two crews were captured by the Japanese in occupied China. Three crewmen from these groups were later executed. The key development for
4851-652: The accession of his son Taishō , who suffered from ill-health and various disabilities, many of these powers were assumed by the Imperial Diet in an era known as the Taishō Democracy . Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) was in power during the Pacific War ; he controlled both the sovereign of the state and the imperial forces. The role of the emperor as head of the State Shinto religion was exploited during
4950-458: The air, had been lost, and Japan's aircraft works had been badly hit. The Americans lost eighty planes." 18 August 1945: The last U.S. air combat casualty of the Pacific War occurred during mission 230 A-8, when two Consolidated B-32 Dominators of the 386th Bomb Squadron , 312th Bomb Group , launched from Yontan Airfield , Okinawa, for a photo reconnaissance run over Tokyo, Japan . Both bombers were attacked by several Japanese fighters of both
5049-452: The ancient tombs known as kofun , constructed between the early 3rd century and the early 7th century AD. However, since the Meiji period , the Imperial Household Agency has refused to open the kofun to the public or to archaeologists, citing their desire not to disturb the spirits of the past emperors. Kofun period artefacts were also increasingly crucial in Japan as the Meiji government used them to reinforce their authority. In 2016,
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#17327829739285148-420: The area was declared by the Japanese government a "Special Historic Relic" under the Cultural Properties Protection Law. The Tōkagakudō ( 桃華楽堂 , Peach Blossom Music Hall) is located to the east of the former main donjon of Edo Castle in the Honmaru. Designed by Kenji Imai , this music hall was built in commemoration of the 60th birthday of Empress Kōjun on 6 March 1963. The ferro-concrete building covers
5247-436: The artworks. The Kyūden is used for both receiving state guests and holding official state ceremonies and functions. The Matsu-no-Ma ( Pine Chamber ) is the throne room. The Emperor gives audiences to the Prime Minister in this room, as well as appointing or dismissing ambassadors and Ministers of State . It is also the room where the Prime Minister and Chief Justice is appointed to office. The Fukiage Garden has carried
5346-603: The bombing of Japan was the B-29 Superfortress strategic bomber , which had an operational range of 3,250 nautical miles (3,740 mi; 6,020 km) and was capable of attacking at high altitude above 30,000 feet (9,100 m), where enemy defenses were very weak. Almost 90% of the bombs dropped on the home islands of Japan were delivered by the B-29. Once Allied ground forces had captured islands sufficiently close to Japan, airfields were built on those islands (particularly Saipan and Tinian ) and B-29s could reach Japan for bombing missions. The initial raids were carried out by
5445-404: The call of sonnō jōi ("revere the emperor, expel the barbarians"). The domains of Satsuma and Chōshū , historic enemies of the Tokugawa, used this turmoil to unite their forces and won an important military victory outside of Kyoto against Tokugawa forces. On 9 November 1867, the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu formally stepped down to restore Emperor Meiji to nominal full power. He issued
5544-554: The city were destroyed and some 100,000 people are estimated to have died. A grand total of 282 of the 339 B-29s launched for "Meetinghouse" made it to the target, 27 of which were lost due to being shot down by Japanese air defenses, mechanical failure, or being caught in updrafts caused by the fires. The Operation Meetinghouse firebombing of Tokyo on the night of 9 March 1945 was the single deadliest air raid of World War II, greater than Dresden , Hamburg , Hiroshima, or Nagasaki as single events. Damage to Tokyo's heavy industry
5643-477: The coffered ceiling was traditional Japanese-style, while the floor was parquetry. The roof was styled similarly to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, but was covered with (fireproof) copper plates rather than Japanese cypress shingles. In the late Taishō and early Shōwa period, more concrete buildings were added, such as the headquarters of the Imperial Household Ministry and the Privy Council . These structures exhibited only token Japanese elements. From 1888 to 1948,
5742-486: The compound was called Palace Castle ( 宮城 , Kyūjō ) . On the night of 25 May 1945, most structures of the Imperial Palace were destroyed in the Allied firebombing raid on Tokyo . According to the US bomber pilot Richard Lineberger, Emperor's Palace was the target of their special mission on July 29, 1945, and was hit with 2000-pound bombs. In August 1945, in the closing days of the Pacific War, Emperor Hirohito met with his Privy Council and made decisions culminating in
5841-399: The death toll, seems to be arguably low in light of population density, wind conditions, and survivors' accounts. With an average of 103,000 inhabitants per square mile (400 inhabitants/ha) and peak levels as high as 135,000 inhabitants per square mile (520 inhabitants/ha), the highest density of any industrial city in the world, and with firefighting measures ludicrously inadequate to
5940-504: The eastern areas of the city. The districts bombed were home to 1.2 million people. Tokyo police recorded 267,171 buildings destroyed, which left more than one million people homeless. Emperor Hirohito 's tour of the destroyed areas of Tokyo in March 1945 was the beginning of his involvement in the peace process, culminating in Japan's surrender six months later. The US Strategic Bombing Survey later estimated that nearly 88,000 people died in this one raid, 41,000 were injured, and over
6039-422: The eastern part was renamed East Garden ( 東御苑 , Higashi-Gyoen ) and became a public park in 1968. Interior images of the Meiji-era palace The present Imperial Palace encompasses the retrenchments of the former Edo Castle. The modern Kyūden ( 宮殿 ) designed for various imperial court functions and receptions is located in the old Nishinomaru section of the palace grounds. On a much more modest scale,
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#17327829739286138-488: The emperor with great symbolic authority, but little political power, to the pope , and the shōgun to secular European rulers (e.g., the Holy Roman emperor ). In keeping with the analogy, they even used the term "emperor" in reference to the shōguns and their regents, e.g. in the case of Toyotomi Hideyoshi , whom missionaries called "Emperor Taico-sama" (from Taikō and the honorific sama ). A Dutch embassy report used similar terminology in 1691. Empress Go-Sakuramachi
6237-486: The emperors, who were still the source of sovereignty, although they could not exercise their powers independently from the shogunate. During the major part of 1192 to 1867, political sovereignty of the state was exercised by the shōguns or their shikken regents (1203–1333), whose authority was conferred by Imperial warrant. When Portuguese explorers first came into contact with the Japanese (see Nanban period ), they described Japanese conditions in analogy, likening
6336-425: The ensuing mass loss of civilian life. The first raid on Tokyo was the Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942. In the raid, sixteen B-25 Mitchells were launched from the USS Hornet at Yokohama and Tokyo, and then flew to airfields in China . The raid was retaliation against the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . The raid did little damage to Japan's war capability but was a significant propaganda victory for
6435-547: The fighter defenses were ineffective at night. LeMay ordered all defensive guns but the tail gun removed from the B-29s so that the aircraft would be lighter and use less fuel. On the night of 9–10 March 1945, 334 B-29s took off to raid with 279 of them dropping 1,665 tons of bombs on Tokyo. The bombs were mostly the 500-pound (230 kg) E-46 cluster bomb which released 38 napalm -carrying M-69 incendiary bomblets at an altitude of 2,000–2,500 ft (610–760 m). The M-69s punched through thin roofing material or landed on
6534-434: The first year after the emperor's accession to the throne. The historical text Nihonshoki , written in the year 720, has the first mention of this ceremony, whose beginnings are believed to date back even further. The event evolved through time to become the Day of Thanksgiving for Labour, a recognized official holiday today. The office of the emperor is also cultural bearer and steward of tradition and culture. For example,
6633-407: The foot of the castle hill was originally planted in 1636 by Kobori Enshu , a famed landscape artist and garden designer, but it was destroyed by fire in 1867. The current layout was created in 1968, based on a plan drawn up during the reign of ninth shogun, Tokugawa Ieshige . The Suwa no Chaya ( 諏訪の茶屋 ) is a teahouse that was located in the Fukiage Garden during the Edo period. It moved to
6732-409: The former site of Edo Castle in the heart of Tokyo , the current capital of Japan. Earlier, emperors resided in Kyoto , the ancient capital, for nearly eleven centuries. The Emperor's Birthday (currently 23 February) is a national holiday. Naruhito is the current emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito , on 1 May 2019. He
6831-410: The government of Tokyo to have names of victims added to the list. After the war, Japanese author Katsumoto Saotome , a survivor of the 10 March 1945 firebombing, helped start a library about the raid in Koto Ward called the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage . The library contains documents and literature about the raid plus survivor accounts collected by Saotome and the Association to Record
6930-437: The ground; in either case they ignited 3–5 seconds later, throwing out a jet of flaming napalm globs. A lesser number of M-47 incendiaries were also dropped: the M-47 was a 100-pound (45 kg) jelled-gasoline and white phosphorus bomb which ignited upon impact. In the first two hours of the raid, 226 of the attacking aircraft unloaded their bombs to overwhelm the city's fire defenses. The first B-29s to arrive dropped bombs in
7029-535: The group, said that "the capital city needs a symbolic building", and that the group planned to collect donations and signatures on a petition in support of rebuilding the tower. A reconstruction blueprint had been made based on old documents. The Imperial Household Agency at the time had not indicated whether it would support the project. In the Meiji period , most structures from the Edo Castle disappeared. Some were cleared to make way for other buildings, while others were destroyed by earthquakes and fire. For example,
7128-408: The imperial decree of constitutionalism on 14 April 1875. The Meiji Constitution was adopted on 11 February 1889. The emperor of Japan became an active ruler with considerable political power over foreign policy and diplomacy which was shared with an elected Imperial Diet . The Japanese subjects gained many rights and duties. The constitution described the emperor (in Article 4) as: "the head of
7227-503: The last air combat of the Pacific war. The following day, propellers were removed from Japanese aircraft as part of the surrender agreement. Marchione was buried on Okinawa on 19 August, his body being returned to his Pottstown, Pennsylvania home on 18 March 1949. He was interred in St. Aloysius Old Cemetery with full military honors. "Hobo Queen II" was dismantled at Yonton Airfield following
7326-410: The legality of his official acts, and guarantees the execution of the public will. These functions, when considered altogether, serve two purposes: foremost, to uphold the continuity and stability of Japanese democracy; and second, to foster a shared national identity and cultural heritage that transcends party politics. In order to maintain his institutional neutrality as Japan's national symbol, he
7425-523: The military and industrial power to prevent it. Unequal treaties coerced and took advantage of Japan. Consequently, Japan was forcibly opened to foreign trade and the shogunate proved incapable of hindering the "barbarian" interlopers; Emperor Kōmei thus began to assert himself politically. By the early 1860s, the relationship between the Imperial Court and the shogunate was changing radically. Disaffected domains and rōnin began to rally to
7524-471: The name since the Edo period and is used as the residential area for the Imperial Family . The Fukiage Palace ( 吹上御所 , Fukiage gosho ) , achieved in 1993, was used as the primary residence of Akihito from December 8, 1993, to March 2020. After a period of refurbishment, Naruhito , Masako and Aiko moved in in September 2021. The Fukiage Ōmiya Palace ( 吹上大宮御所 , Fukiage Ōmiya-gosho ) in
7623-509: The national reconstruction budget roughly proportional to its amount of bombing damage (26.6%), but in successive years Tokyo saw its share dwindle. By 1949, Tokyo was given only 10.9% of the budget; at the same time there was runaway inflation devaluing the money. Occupation authorities such as Joseph Dodge stepped in and drastically cut back on Japanese government rebuilding programs, focusing instead on simply improving roads and transportation. Tokyo did not experience fast economic growth until
7722-496: The night of 5 May 1873, a fire consumed the Nishinomaru Palace (formerly the shōgun's residence), and the new imperial Palace Castle ( 宮城 , Kyūjō ) was constructed on the site in 1888. The castle has many gardens. A non-profit "Rebuilding Edo-jo Association" ( NPO法人 江戸城再建 ) was founded in 2004 with the aim of a historically correct reconstruction of at least the main donjon. In March 2013, Naotaka Kotake, head of
7821-458: The nine first emperors as mythical. Emperor Sujin , the 10th emperor, may have been a real historical figure. The emperors from Emperor Ōjin are considered as perhaps factual. As one argument, the reign of Emperor Kinmei ( c. 509 –571 AD), the 29th emperor, is the first for whom contemporary historiography is able to assign verifiable dates. Archaeological information about the earliest historical rulers of Japan may be contained in
7920-604: The northern section was originally the residence of Emperor Showa and Empress Kōjun and was called the Fukiage Palace . After the Emperor's death in 1989, the palace was renamed the Fukiage Ōmiya Palace and was the residence of the Empress Dowager until her death in 2000. It is currently not in use. The palace precincts include the Three Palace Sanctuaries ( 宮中三殿 , Kyūchū-sanden ) . Parts of
8019-602: The people, rather than be treated like a god or robot. Inoue believes that during his reign, he transformed the symbolic role of emperor into a human being. In March 2019, the Mainichi reported 87% thought Akihito fulfilled his role as symbol of the state. On 30 April 2019, Emperor Akihito abdicated due to health issues and Heisei era ended. The previous time abdication occurred was Emperor Kōkaku in 1817. Akihito's eldest son, Naruhito ascended on 1 May 2019, referred to as Kinjō Tennō and Reiwa era started. In 1947
8118-407: The position of Tennō (emperor). Rather it is the emperor's symbolic and religious power of authority. Since the Kamakura shogunate , the emperor held de jure ownership of the realm. Throughout most of medieval Japan, the shogun 's legitimate authority was based on being appointed and receiving the power from the emperor even though the shogun was the de facto ruler. The emperor was considered
8217-420: The post-war Constitution of Japan ( 日本国憲法 , Nihonkoku-Kenpō ) became law when it received the emperor's assent on 3 November 1946. It provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights. Under its terms, the emperor of Japan is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and exercises a purely ceremonial role without the possession of sovereignty. It
8316-953: The power struggle between the Imperial Court in Kyoto and the military governments of Japan. There have been seven non-imperial families who have controlled Japanese emperors: the Soga (530s–645), the Fujiwara (850s–1070), the Taira (1159–1180s), the Minamoto (1192–1199), the Hōjō (1199–1333), the Ashikaga (1336–1565), and the Tokugawa (1603–1867). However, every shogun from the Minamoto, Ashikaga, and Tokugawa families had to be officially recognized by
8415-582: The public, except for reserved guided tours from Tuesdays to Saturdays (which access only the Kyūden Totei Plaza in front of the Chowaden). Each New Year (January 2) and Emperor's Birthday (February 23), the public is permitted to enter through the Nakamon (inner gate) where they gather in the Kyūden Totei Plaza. The Imperial Family appears on the balcony before the crowd and the Emperor normally gives
8514-401: The spaces. The floors of the public rooms had parquets or carpets, while the residential spaces used traditional tatami mats. The main audience hall was the central part of the palace. It was the largest building in the compound. Guests were received there for public events. The floor space was more than 223 tsubo or approximately 737.25 m (7,935.7 sq ft). In the interior,
8613-835: The state. To this end, the emperor, on behalf of the Japanese people: Regular ceremonies of the emperor with a constitutional basis are the Imperial Investitures (Shinninshiki) in the Tokyo Imperial Palace and the Speech from the Throne ceremony in the House of Councillors in the National Diet Building . The latter ceremony opens ordinary and extra sessions of the Diet. Ordinary sessions are opened each January and also after new elections to
8712-401: The task, 15.8 square miles (41 km ) of Tokyo were destroyed on a night when fierce winds whipped the flames and walls of fire blocked tens of thousands fleeing for their lives. An estimated 1.5 million people lived in the burned out areas. In his 1968 book, reprinted in 1990, historian Gabriel Kolko cited a figure of 125,000 deaths. Elise K. Tipton, professor of Japan studies, arrived at
8811-522: The war, creating an Imperial cult that led to kamikaze bombers and other manifestations of fanaticism . This in turn led to the requirement in the Potsdam Declaration for the elimination "for all time of the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest". In State Shinto, the emperor was believed to be an arahitogami ( 現人神 ) (manifest kami or incarnation of
8910-515: The wooden double bridges ( 二重橋 , Nijūbashi ) over the moat were replaced with stone and iron bridges. The buildings of the Imperial Palace constructed in the Meiji era were constructed of wood. Their design employed traditional Japanese architecture in their exterior appearance while the interiors were an eclectic mixture of fashionable Japanese and European elements. The ceilings of the grand chambers were coffered with Japanese elements; however, Western chairs, tables and heavy curtains furnished
9009-598: Was a series of air raids on Japan launched by the United States Army Air Forces during the Pacific Theatre of World War II in 1944–1945, prior to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . The raids that were conducted by the U.S. military on the night of 9–10 March 1945, codenamed Operation Meetinghouse , are the single most destructive bombing raid in human history. 16 square miles (41 km ; 10,000 acres) of central Tokyo
9108-611: Was against Kobe on 4 February 1945. Tokyo was hit by incendiaries on 25 February 1945 when 174 B-29s flew a high altitude raid during daylight hours and destroyed around 643 acres (260 ha) (2.6 km ) of the snow-covered city, using 453.7 tons of mostly incendiaries with some fragmentation bombs. After this raid, LeMay ordered the B-29 bombers to attack again but at a relatively low altitude of 5,000 to 9,000 ft (1,500 to 2,700 m) and at night, because Japan's anti-aircraft artillery defenses were weakest in this altitude range, and
9207-612: Was destroyed, leaving an estimated 100,000 civilians dead and over one million homeless. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August 1945, by comparison, resulted in the immediate death of an estimated 70,000 to 150,000 people. The U.S. mounted the Doolittle Raid , a seaborne, small-scale air raid on Tokyo in April 1942. Strategic bombing and urban area bombing began in 1944 after the long-range B-29 Superfortress bomber entered service, first deployed from China and thereafter
9306-511: Was dismissed at the first judgement in December 2009, and their appeal was rejected. The plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court , which rejected their case in May 2013. In 2013, during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe 's second term, Abe's cabinet stated that the raids were "incompatible with humanitarianism , which is one of the foundations of international law", but also noted that it
9405-454: Was drawn up under the Allied occupation that followed World War II and changed Japan's previous Prussian-style Meiji Constitution that granted the emperor theoretically unlimited powers. The liberal constitution was inspired by several European states. Currently, it is a rigid document and the oldest unamended constitution. Historically, territorial designations are not a requirement for
9504-460: Was excluded from the postwar Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal . Scholars dispute the power he had and the role he played during WWII. Emperor Shōwa's reign from 1926 until his death in 1989 makes him the longest-lived and longest-reigning historical Japanese emperor, and one of the longest-reigning monarchs in the world . The Emperors of Japan have not visited Yasukuni Shrine since 1978. Hirohito maintained an official boycott of Yasukuni Shrine after it
9603-603: Was revealed to him that Class-A war criminals had secretly been enshrined. The boycott was continued by his son and grandson, Akihito and Naruhito . By 1979, Emperor Shōwa was the only monarch in the world with the monarchical title " emperor ." Emperor Shōwa was the longest-reigning historical monarch in Japan's history and the world's longest reigning monarch until surpassed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in July 2008. According to journalist Makoto Inoue of The Nikkei , Emperor Emeritus Akihito wanted to be closer to
9702-415: Was slight until firebombing destroyed much of the light industry that was used as an integral source for small machine parts. Firebombing also killed or made homeless many workers. According to the victorious US report, over 50% of Tokyo's industry was spread out among residential and commercial neighborhoods; firebombing cut the whole city's output in half. The destruction and damage were especially severe in
9801-472: Was the last ruling empress of Japan and reigned from 1762 to 1771. During the Sakoku period of 1603 to 1868, there was very limited trade between Japan and foreigners. The Dutch were the only westerners who had limited access to Japan. Emperor Go-Daigo succeeded in 1333 to get back the direct authority directly to the emperor after overthrowing the Kamakura shogunate , with the help of Ashikaga Takauji ,
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