East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

For a country that, as of late, seems reluctant to face its past, there is a wealth of history and culture emanating from its heart at the Imperial Palace.

While the Emperor stays cloistered behind the walls of the Imperial Palace (which opens its doors only twice a year), the East Gardens remain open for the public to enjoy. As it is within such close proximity to royalty, within the bounds of the East Gardens one is prohibited from, among other things, creating hideous noises; under threat of being ordered to leave. Good thing I packed the Bean-O.

The enormous moat surrounding the Palace and its East Garden is an indelible reminder that the Emperor is not to be disturbed while watching reruns of Friends on TBS (especially with Sex and The City to follow), or however he chooses to spend his idle time.

Tatsumi-nijyu-yagura, one of the many keeps along the perimeter of the moat, overlooking two gate entrances from its corner stoop.

Some of the guardhouses where samurai took up residence, always at a state of readiness to confront unwanted visitors. That is, if said visitant could get through the gate.

The enormity of the doors begs an explanation of how this place was ever besieged.

Assuming the gates were compromised, insurgents would have to pass through a second, third, and inner citadel seated on elevated ground, surrounded by a ridiculously large stone wall.

Inside the inner citadel is Tenshu-dai, the foundation for what was once the tallest donjon in Japan. I'm not sure what donjon translates into exactly, but at 11 meters tall, apparently it was something to talk about - as in, "hey baby, you know I got the biggest donjon in the country?"

Only hazy reminders of the skyscrapers around Tokyo Central Station penetrate through the muggy air to the lawn at the center of the inner citadel.

I'm almost certain this isn't a bonsai tree, but I still couldn't get Mr. Miyagi out of my head when I saw this. A sad realization that despite culture and education, something with only a vaguely Japanese aesthetic brings to mind "Wax-on, wax-off, Daniel-san!" Thank you 1980's and VH1.

I totally didn't expect to find this walking around the palace gardens, or anywhere in life for that matter. The no smoking symbol has become so ubiquitous that this evil twin seems to mark an area within which it is compulsory to light up. The dude abides.

Inside the second citadel there's a garden that puts all suburban faux-bamboo-and-plastic koi ponds to shame, as well as a traditional teahouse peaking modestly through from the woods. This is the backyard in my fantasy mansion; here, time is frozen in serenity.