The capital city home to Japan’s Imperial Palace is Tokyo.
Tokyo Imperial Palace is located in the Chiyoda district at the center of Tokyo and serves as the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. The palace complex occupies the grounds of the former Edo Castle, surrounded by moats, stone walls, gardens, and remnants of the castle’s defensive structures.
The site became an imperial residence after the Meiji Restoration. In 1868, Emperor Meiji moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, and Edo Castle was converted into an imperial palace. Tokyo therefore replaced Kyoto as Japan’s political center, although Kyoto remained the historic imperial capital and retains its own Imperial Palace.
Much of the palace was destroyed during the 1945 air raids on Tokyo. The present palace buildings were constructed in the 1960s and completed in 1968. They include the Kyūden, used for state ceremonies and official receptions, as well as the Emperor’s residence and the Imperial Household Agency.
Visitors often confuse Tokyo Imperial Palace with Kyoto Imperial Palace or Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle is a historic landmark in Osaka, while Kyoto Imperial Palace is associated with the earlier imperial capital. Only Tokyo Imperial Palace is in Japan’s current capital.