Walking Through Kyoto Imperial Palace

Table of Contents

Walking Through the Kyoto Imperial Palace

With a Smartphone Guide in Hand

I took the subway from the hotel to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Admission is free, and the audio guide app is free too. Very generous!

https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/imperial-palaces-guide/id1234070799

This Was Once the Imperial Palace

The Kyoto Imperial Palace served as the imperial residence until the imperial family moved to Tokyo. It seems there were once court nobles’ residences and other buildings lined up around it as well, but none remain today, so now it feels like scattered buildings spread across a vast expanse of land.

I walked around the palace grounds with the app in hand. The buildings were constructed in different periods, so it was interesting to see the variety of architectural styles.

The corridors are notable for their vermilion color. This area follows Heian-period architectural style.

And here is the main hall, Shishinden. It’s enormous.

The garden is also extremely spacious and magnificent. (As you’d expect, I guess.)

These photos really show only a tiny part of it. As I strolled around at a relaxed pace, I found myself imagining what kind of world once spread out here.