Gosho Palace Kyoto

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Gosho Imperial Palace in Kyoto




The Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho)
is an imperial palace of Japan, though the Emperor of Japan is not in residence. The Emperor has resided at the Tokyo Imperial Palace since 1869 (Meiji Restoration) and ordered the preservation of the Kyōto Imperial Palace in 1877.

The Kyōto Imperial Palace is the latest of the imperial palaces built at or near its site in the north-eastern part of the old capital on Heiankyō after the abandonment of the larger original Heian Palace (大内裏, daidairi) that was located to the west of the current palace during the Heian Period. The Palace lost much of its function at the time of the Meiji Restoration, when the capital functions were moved to Tōkyō in 1869. However, the Taishō and Showa Emperors still had their coronation ceremonies at Kyōto Gosho.

The main building on the Palace Grounds includes, among other halls,

. Shishinden 紫宸殿 Hall for State Ceremonies .

Seiryōden (清涼殿, lit. 'cool, refreshing hall'),
Kogosho (小御所, Court Room),
Ogakumonsho (御学問所, Imperial Study or Library),
and a number of residences for the Empress, high-ranking aristocrats and government officials.

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©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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The gardens associated with the Imperial Palace in Kyoto may date no earlier than the rebuilding of the palace in the middle of the 19th Century. They are of some interest to the historian of Japanese gardens, however, in that they contain elements that appear to be conscious revivals of Japan's earliest Imperial gardens. In that sense, they may respond to the same nostalgic impulse that inspired the gardens of Katsura Villa.

The gardens of Kyoto’s Imperial Park include three featured in this website (for the other two, see Sento Gosho and Shusui-tei).
The current site of the Imperial Palace was once the estate of one Tsuchimikado Higashi, the original palace having been located slightly to the southwest. The Kyoto Gosho did not become the permanent residence of the Emperor until the Shoguns Nobunaga and Hideyoshi rebuilt it in the late 16th Century, and the present buildings date only from 1855.

It is difficult to guess how many of the garden elements found to the east of the palace complex predate the late Edo Period, but it is clear that whoever designed the more private stream garden must have had in mind the “poetry contest gardens” of the earliest Emperors. Even the pond garden with its islands and Chinese-style arched bridge may have been a conscious attempt at recreating the great water gardens of the Heian nobility.

source : learn.bowdoin.edu/japanesegardens

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. Daishogun Hachi Jinja 大将軍八神社 .

The shrine is located in the North-West, at the Tenmon gate 天門 of the Imperial Palace Gosho.

Amulets from this shrine.


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星一つ流れ止まり御所の空
hoshi hitotsu nagare-todomari Gosho no sora

just one star
shoots by but stops -
the sky of Gosho palace

Mimura Junya 三村純也 (1953 - )


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. Goshogaki 御所柿（ごしょがき）
Persimmon "of the imperial palace"

kigo for late autumn


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Gosho ningyoo 御所人形
Gosho dolls from the Imperial Palace
Palace Dolls



quote
Gosho Ningyo generally represent fat, happy babies in a simplified infantile form. A heavy coat of gofun to achieve the perfectly white skin so prized in Japan seals them. They have minimal painted facial features - just the essential amount of detail ("no more - no less") to capture the essence of the child. Instead of switching to the popular inserted glass eyes, gosho artists maintained the spirit of these dolls by keeping the traditional black inked eye treatment.

Kyoto National Museum states that these white, rounded, chubby figures are thought to have been influenced by the naked children Saga dolls.
They were initiallly presents from the Imperial Palace to the Daimyo and other vassals.

There are many names associated with gosho dolls: "Good luck dolls", shira-kiku "white chrysanthemum", shirajishi-ningyo "white flesh doll", zudai "large head", or Izukura ningyo which refers to a Osaka doll dealer. The term "gosho" can be translated "from the Imperial Palace" since they were originally created by doll makers in Kyoto specifically to be gifts from the Imperial household to their special visitors. The recipients treasured these. The merchant class wanted to emulate this royal gift giving ritual - a status symbol. Thus the practice of giving gosho ningyo as special meaningful gifts spread throughout Japan.
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source : www.lotzdollpages.com



Collection of Gosho Dolls :
source :www.jcollector.com


Gosho Dolls are often in the form of


karako　唐子　Chinese children

They carry auspicious items, like peaches or turtle and crane for longevity or a treasure ship (takarabune　宝船) for good financial fortunes.

Later they began to imitate (mitate　見立て) famous historical scenes and persons.

Dolls that could be bent three times (mitsu-ore　三つ折れ) were developed during the late 18th century.

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御所人形の稚児輪ふくらむ牡丹の芽
gosho ningyoo no chigowa fukuramu botan no me

the fluffy hairdo
of this Gosho doll -
bud of a peony

. Hasegawa Kanajo 長谷川かな女 .



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Gosho dolls are a kind of

ishoo ningyoo 衣裳人形 dolls with robes
costume dolls
They come in various forms, like beautiful ladies in the robes of various historical periods, Kabuki and Noh actors and even as small amulets to protect children from illness.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .


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. Place Names and Haiku 　

. Shishinden 紫宸殿 Hall for State Ceremonies .


. Kyoto (Hana no Miyako 花の都) .


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