Glossary: Koukyo

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Koukyo (皇居)

The Imperial Palace is the residence of the Emperor of Japan and is a large park-like area located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It is contained with the premises of Edo Castle, which was taken over by the Meiji Emperor in 1868 at the capitulation of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Emperor moved his residence there from the Kyoto Imperial Palace, making Tokyo the de facto capital of Japan.