Emperor's Birthday
Today is the Emperor’s Brithday, a public holiday in
Japan and also one of the few occasions where you can
enter the imperial palace. So I make my way back
to central Tokyo to be there in time for when
the doors open.
For his birthday the emperor invites the public onto the Kyuden plaza (map) to give a short speech. There are serveral sessions planned during the day and I decided to get in early one at 10:30. The cue starts on the main street coming from Tokyo station. Here you get handed a paper flag and eventually get sent forward to another set of cues on Kyoko-mae place. But I am lucky, due to the rain there are fewer people and I manage to get in at the front.
After more cueing, a security check and even more standing in the rain, a processions starts leading the visitors through the Sei gate into the imperial palace grounds. This area is normally closed to the public as is everything that follows. The procession of umbrellas follows the main road and crosses Nijubash bridge to lead to the Kyuden plaza.
Here is more waiting for the crowd to assemble. Luckily the rain has mostly ceased at this point. Eventually the emperor and family make an appearance behind the bullet proof glass of the Kyuden.
At this point the crowd cheers and wave the little paper flags we were handed earlier. Some shout “Tenno Heika Banzai” which literally means “Long live the emperor”.
After a few moments of cheering the emperor gives a small speech, in Japanese. The crowd listens respectfully in silence. How amazing this is becomes clear when you consider the history of this event. Before world war two, the emperor of Japan was considered as divine and lived a very secluded life. The first time the Japanese people heard their emperor’s voice is when he announced the capitulation of Japan at the end of the war. He has since lost his divine status and makes rare appearances in public. The birthday address is a tradition that started in the 1948.
His speech itself is very humble, he thanks people for coming despite the weather and wishes everybody a happy new year. Quite a short speech really.
After the speech, the crowd is directed back out trough the Sagashita gate. On the way we get a rare glimpse of the Imperial household agency and the Hasuike moat, the inner moat between the palace and publicly accessible gardens, though you cannot see it from the gardens.
This short video (link) illustrates all this as well.
If you want to attend to the imperial emperor’s birthday address it is probably best to get to the early session, at 10:30. But be aware that it is wise to get there earlier to get a good space in the cue and ensure you can get in. This is a popular event.
Also check with the tourist information or your hotels reception for updates on times and places. This event is free of charge.
For his birthday the emperor invites the public onto the Kyuden plaza (map) to give a short speech. There are serveral sessions planned during the day and I decided to get in early one at 10:30. The cue starts on the main street coming from Tokyo station. Here you get handed a paper flag and eventually get sent forward to another set of cues on Kyoko-mae place. But I am lucky, due to the rain there are fewer people and I manage to get in at the front.
After more cueing, a security check and even more standing in the rain, a processions starts leading the visitors through the Sei gate into the imperial palace grounds. This area is normally closed to the public as is everything that follows. The procession of umbrellas follows the main road and crosses Nijubash bridge to lead to the Kyuden plaza.
Here is more waiting for the crowd to assemble. Luckily the rain has mostly ceased at this point. Eventually the emperor and family make an appearance behind the bullet proof glass of the Kyuden.
At this point the crowd cheers and wave the little paper flags we were handed earlier. Some shout “Tenno Heika Banzai” which literally means “Long live the emperor”.
After a few moments of cheering the emperor gives a small speech, in Japanese. The crowd listens respectfully in silence. How amazing this is becomes clear when you consider the history of this event. Before world war two, the emperor of Japan was considered as divine and lived a very secluded life. The first time the Japanese people heard their emperor’s voice is when he announced the capitulation of Japan at the end of the war. He has since lost his divine status and makes rare appearances in public. The birthday address is a tradition that started in the 1948.
His speech itself is very humble, he thanks people for coming despite the weather and wishes everybody a happy new year. Quite a short speech really.
After the speech, the crowd is directed back out trough the Sagashita gate. On the way we get a rare glimpse of the Imperial household agency and the Hasuike moat, the inner moat between the palace and publicly accessible gardens, though you cannot see it from the gardens.
This short video (link) illustrates all this as well.
Travel Tip
If you want to attend to the imperial emperor’s birthday address it is probably best to get to the early session, at 10:30. But be aware that it is wise to get there earlier to get a good space in the cue and ensure you can get in. This is a popular event.
Also check with the tourist information or your hotels reception for updates on times and places. This event is free of charge.