The impressive Fukiage Gardens housing the Imperial Residence will be opened to the public on a limited basis for the first time next year, the Imperial Household Agency said.
Agency officials said the gardens, which cover about 25 hectares and are maintained at the behest of Emperor Showa, will be open May 4 and 5 to mark the inaugural Midori no Gekkan greenery month, which will run from April 15 through May 14.
Members of the public will be invited to participate in one of six guided tours. However, openings will be severely limited. Only about 200 people, or about 30 persons per tour group, are expected to win the privilege.
The agency said the decision to open the imperial gates was made at the wish of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, who said they wanted to share the results of a recent biological survey of the palace grounds with the public.
The survey, conducted by the National Science Museum and other institutions, concluded that the gardens are host to about 5,000 species of plants, animals and birds.
Some are extremely rare, said the surveyors, citing the Japanese threelobed buttercup, which is on the verge of extinction.
Each of the planned 1-kilometer tours will be escorted by researchers of the museum. The tours will focus on the eastern part of the gardens.
Details of the application procedure for participants will be announced early next year. Agency officials were unable to say if the tours will be held annually.(IHT/Asahi: November 24,2006)
ASAHI WEEKLY