Entertainment · Celebrity · 8 hrs ago
New Imperial Palace rest area and café to open on November 3
A new rest area and café will open in Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens on November 3, Japan’s Culture Day.
The café will be run by Sarutahiko Coffee, and the rest area by a partnership of JTB Communication Design and Tanseisha.
The facility will include a rooftop deck, displays about the Imperial family and a shop selling items such as traditional crafts.
The East Gardens drew about 2.13 million visitors last year, around 58% of them foreign.
The new facilities are intended to make the gardens and the nearby Sannomaru Shozokan museum more welcoming and help visitors learn about Imperial history and Japanese culture.
The coverage also argues that more foreign visitors could bring wider attention to Japan’s rule that only men in the male line can inherit the throne, unlike the first-born succession rules it describes in European royal families.
A new rest area and café near the Ote-mon Gate in Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Gardens is scheduled to open on November 3.
The wooden facility will include a café run by Sarutahiko Coffee, a rooftop deck, displays and a shop selling commemorative goods.
The rest area is designed to operate alongside the renovated Sannomaru Shozokan museum, which is also due to reopen on November 3.
The East Gardens received about 2.13 million visitors last year, with foreign visitors making up about 58 percent, according to the article.
Supporters say the facility could improve services and introduce visitors to the Imperial Household’s history, while some have concerns about treating Imperial property and culture as tourism resources.
- Who
- The Imperial Household Agency and a private-sector joint venture are involved in operating the facility; Sarutahiko Coffee will run the café.
- What
- A new rest area and café are scheduled to open, alongside the reopening of the Sannomaru Shozokan.
- When
- November 3, Culture Day.
- Where
- The Imperial Palace East Gardens in Tokyo, near the Ote-mon Gate.
- Why
- The facility is intended to make the East Gardens more attractive and provide space for visitors to rest and learn about Imperial history and culture.
Supporters of opening and developing the facility
Critics of treating Imperial property and culture as tourism resources
Purpose
Supporters of opening and developing the facility
Supporters say the facility can improve visitor services and help people in Japan and abroad learn about Imperial history and culture.
Critics of treating Imperial property and culture as tourism resources
Some officials reportedly feel uneasy about government policy that treats Imperial facilities, property and culture as tourism resources.
Aspect
Supporters of opening and developing the facility
Supporters’ view
Critics of treating Imperial property and culture as tourism resources
Critics’ view
Private-sector involvement
Supporters of opening and developing the facility
A former Imperial Household Agency official said private operators could improve services for visitors.
Critics of treating Imperial property and culture as tourism resources
Some staff reportedly have reservations about using Imperial facilities and culture as tourism assets.
The plan for the new rest area was announced.
The Ote rest area and café are scheduled to open, and the Sannomaru Shozokan is scheduled to reopen.
- Opening date
- November 3
- Location
- Near the Ote-mon Gate, Imperial Palace East Gardens
- Floor area
- 2,800 square metres
- Café operator
- Sarutahiko Coffee
- Rest area operators
- JTB Communication Design and Tanseisha joint venture
- East Gardens visitors last year
- About 2.13 million; about 58 percent were foreign visitors
3 sources
What people are saying
The involvement of private companies in running the café can be expected to improve services for users.
It is significant for people not only in Japan but around the world to learn about the history of the Imperial Household and ancient culture through the East Gardens themselves and the Imperial Household-related artworks held in the Sannomaru Shozokan.