Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace (Kyoto, Japan)

The Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace (京都仙洞御所) and the Kyoto Omiya Imperial Palace, located within the Kyoto Gyoen National Gardem, are surrounded by the roofed white earthen wall to the southeast of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The term “Sento" means a pure land inhabited by hermits who have left the secular world. Eventually, the word became another name for Emperor Emeritus (the abdicated Emperor) and the Sento Palace came to refer to the the residence of the Emperor Emeritus. In addition, the Omiya Imperial Palace was the residence of the Empress Dowager, but when the Nyoin who did not have the title of Empress Dowager lived in the palace, it was called the Nyoin Palace. Since Emperor Emeritus Gomizuno-o and Tofukumon-in Masako (Masako Tokugawa), these two palaces had existed on this site. The Sento Palace was renovated as the occupants changed and rebuilt after each fire. However, after the great fire of 1854, many of the buildings were not restored because the Emperor Emeritus was not present. The Seikatei , located at the southern end of the grounds and overlooking the entire garden, is the only remaining structure in the garden and carries the memory of the aesthetic sense and recreational activities of successive Emperors Emeritus. As for the Omiya Imperial Palace, built for the Empress Dowager Eisho, one of the buildings, the Otsunegoten (Residential Palace), has survived. At the time of the Enthronement of Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa, the Omiya Imperial Palace served as an annex to the Daijokyu, which was built on the site of the Sento Imperial Palace. Today it is used as an accomodation for Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, and Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. The adjacent gardens were originally designed by Enshu Kobori, a master of architecture and landscape design. Over the years, however, the original gardens have been transformed into their present form by enlarging the pond and connecting two gardens (the North and South Gardens) with a canal. The west bank has the gentle contours of a pebbled shore covered with some 120,000 similarly shaped paving stones, while the east bank resembles a deep forest with the eastern mountain range in the background. Other elements such as bridges, waterfalls and rare stones contribute to the exquisite landscapes of the Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace, making it a true hermitage of the city. 📍 Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-0881, Japan 🛜 https://kyoto-gosho.kunaicho.go.jp/en... 🗺️ https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kyo...