Construction starts to restore former imperial rest house at Tokyo park
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The Japanese Environment Ministry aims to recreate the exterior and interior of the Nihonkan Goten in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
TOKYO – A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 27 at Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for the reconstruction of a former imperial rest house that was burned down in a 1945 air raid.
The Japanese Environment Ministry aims to recreate the exterior and interior of the Nihonkan Goten by referring to collected photographs and historical records as well as similar imperial facilities.
The project aims for completion by the end of March 2028.
The wooden, single-story structure, originally converted from a former samurai residence by the then Ministry of Imperial Household after Shinjuku Gyoen became an imperial garden in the Meiji Era – from 1868 to 1912 – was used by imperial family members for rest and meals during visits.
The reconstructed building will cover about 510 sq m, with modern earthquake and fire-resistance technologies incorporated while reproducing its appearance from around 1921.
Shinjuku Gyoen is now managed by the Environment Ministry. KYODO NEWS
