Akasaka Palace

Akasaka Palace (赤坂離宮, Akasaka rikyu), or the State Guest House (迎賓館, Geihinkan), is one of the two State Guesthouses of Government of Japan. The palace was originally built as the Imperial Palace for the Crown Prince (東宮御所, Togu gosho) in 1909. Today the palace is designated by the government of Japan as an official accommodation for visiting state dignitaries. Located in the Moto Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, the building took on its present function in 1974, having previously been an imperial detached palace. In 2009 the palace was designated as a National Treasure of Japan.

Overview

The building has 15,000 m² of floor space, and together with a smaller structure in the Japanese style, occupies a 117,000 m² site.

The main building is the sole Neo-Baroque style Western building in Japan and one of biggest buildings constructed during the Meiji period.

Outside and around the palace area is a footpath unobstructed by road crossings. The footpath is about 3.25 km long (roughly 2 miles).