Standing on the cobbled square and looking at the Akasaka Palace, it feels like this is not Japan at all

Most national treasures in Tokyo are paintings or sculptures, and few are buildings. There are only two: the Shofuku-ji Jizo Hall in Higashimurayama and the Akasaka Palace. On this day, I was at one of them, the Akasaka Palace. It was built in 1909 and was modelled on Buckingham Palace in England and the Palace of Versailles in France. This was a time when Japan was moving towards westernisation and a Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Armed Forces Policy. The era of the imperial crown style had not yet arrived, and although the roof decoration of the main entrance and the interior patterns are decorated with a mixture of armoured warriors and other Japanese-style designs, the exterior of the building is still very much in the Western style.

The building itself is Western-style, but it was the road surface in the forecourt that made me realise that the building itself is also Western-style in a subtle way. The ground of the forecourt, which is spacious enough to hold ceremonies to welcome guests from abroad, is paved with stones, reminiscent of the old towns in Europe. Standing in the stone-paved forecourt and looking at the Akasaka Palace, you feel as if you are not in Japan, so it is a good idea to visit.

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