Why it is worth the detour
Built in 1909 for the crown prince, this lavish neo-Baroque palace demonstrates Meiji Japan's ambition to stand among the world's great powers.
What else is close by
The nearest places we have written up, with straight-line distance from here.
700 m
Takahashi Korekiyo Memorial Park
This quiet garden occupies the grounds of Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo’s residence, where rebel soldiers assassinated him in his upstairs bedroom on February 26, 1936. The house was later moved elsewhere, but the surviving garden and bronze statue make this one of the clearest physical traces of the coup attempt.
1.2 km
Sanno Hotel Site
The Sanno Hotel, replaced by Sanno Park Tower, became a principal rebel stronghold after the assassinations and occupation of central Tokyo. Soldiers barricaded themselves in the fashionable hotel while loyal forces gathered outside and imperial orders transformed the self-styled reformers into officially condemned rebels.
1.5 km
Prime Minister's Official Residence (Former Prime Minister's Office)
Rebels stormed this 1929 building seeking Prime Minister Okada Keisuke but killed his brother-in-law, Matsuo Denzō, after mistaking him for Okada. The prime minister hid inside for more than a day and escaped among visitors arriving to mourn his supposed death; the historic building was later shifted within the compound and converted into the official residence.
1.6 km
National Diet Building
The Lockheed scandal became national theater here when Marubeni executives testified before the House of Representatives Budget Committee in February and March 1976. Their denials about coded “peanuts” receipts were later judged to be false testimony, fixing the word “peanuts” in Japan’s political vocabulary as shorthand for covert money.
1.6 km
Aoyama Cemetery
Aoyama Cemetery is best known for its cherry blossoms and historical significance.
Walk it with the stories
This address is one stop among many. Our routes and quests link them into a walk that makes sense on the ground.