About 400 years ago, a major event took place in Kyoto. On September 1626, 3 (Kan'ei 9), the Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada and the third Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu invited Emperor Gomizunoo to Nijo Castle and gave him a grand reception over five days called the "Kan'ei Imperial Visit."

This Kan'ei Imperial Visit was one of the largest events in the Edo period, having a major impact on politics and culture thereafter.

Next year, 2026, will mark the 400th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a festival called the "Kan'ei Imperial Visit XNUMXth Anniversary Festival" will be held to relive the Kan'ei Imperial Visit in various ways.

What was the Kan'ei Imperial Visit? What does it mean in history and culture?

We will introduce it in detail in two parts, the first and second parts.

Through the "Kan'ei Imperial Visit", a major event in the Edo period

Thinking about peace and culture: "Kan'ei Imperial Visit 400th Anniversary Festival"

In the early Edo period, when the Tokugawa clan unified the country, there was a turning point that marked a major political and cultural turning point. This happened on September 1626, 3 (Kan'ei 9), when the Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada and the third Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu invited Emperor Gomizunoo to Nijo Castle and gave him a grand reception over five days called the "Kan'ei Imperial Visit."

The procession from the Imperial Palace to Nijo Castle was a grand parade with over 9000 people, including the Emperor, his relatives, nobles, and feudal lords from all over the country. People of all ages, genders, and social classes crowded the streets, creating a frenzy in the city.

This imperial visit, which took place just 11 years after the Summer Siege of Osaka, signaled the reconciliation of the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, and the arrival of a time of peace. This event was an important political ceremony that symbolized the rise of the Kan'ei culture, a period in which a wide range of artistic culture blossomed and which would have a major impact on Japanese culture in the future.

The 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei Imperial Visit will be celebrated in Kyoto in 2026. The festival will consider peace through various events, such as a reconstruction of the Imperial Visit procession, taking into account the costumes, furnishings, and organization of the procession, a reenactment of the banquet at Nijo Castle, and an exhibition on the Kan'ei Imperial Visit and Kan'ei culture, and will connect Japanese culture to the future.

Unravelling the present from history and looking ahead to Japan's future

"Emperor Gomizunoo's visit to Nijo Castle was an event that had great significance not only for Kyoto, but also for both Japanese politics and culture. However, it is not well known among the general public," says Kanako Hamasaki, representative of Living History KYOTO, which is planning the 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei Imperial Visit.

"I believe that there is great significance in focusing on the Kan'ei Imperial Visit and holding an event that is deeply rooted in tradition and cultural history, reexamining culture from a modern perspective and incorporating it into the present. Kan'ei culture is also known as the 'hometown of Japanese culture.' By touching on the events that were its origins, I hope that we can think together about its connection to us living in the present, its future shape, and how we should create 'peace' in the future."

It is also said that the economic benefits generated by the imperial visits, such as the purchase of new clothing and furnishings, research into historical matters, and the movement of samurai across the archipelago, were immeasurable.

"The visit sparked the development of various industries in Kyoto and the city became bustling. Its influence spread throughout the country. The fact that there are still many companies today that were founded during the Kan'ei period is supporting evidence of this. We would like to use the 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei Imperial Visit as an opportunity to revive the energy of XNUMX years ago and create new industries in the present day."

2Years of renovation! Nijo Castle, the setting for the Kan'ei Imperial Visit

Nijo Castle, built in 1603 (Keicho 8) by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, underwent major renovations prior to the Kan'ei Imperial Visit. The site was expanded to the west and the Honmaru Palace was built. The Imperial Visit Palace and the Chugu Palace were newly constructed to the south of the Ninomaru Palace, and a garden was also developed, completing a setting befitting the Emperor's visit.

The man who oversaw this two-year renovation was the feudal lord Kobori Enshu, who was also a tea master and garden designer and was one of the magistrates responsible for the construction of the palace. The Ninomaru Palace features paintings on the sliding screens by the Kano school, and the palace's appearance from that time can still be seen today.

Ninomaru Palace is the only shogun's palace remaining in Japan and is designated a national treasure. Many structures remain from the great Kan'ei renovation, such as the Karamon Gate, the East and North Otemon Gates, and the Southeast and Southwest Corner Towers, and Nijo Castle was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Enjoy the elegant world of traditional knives and traditional cuisine at the long-established restaurant "Mankiro"

Emperor Gomizunoo was entertained at Nijo Castle with the honzen ryori (main meal) cuisine, an indispensable part of ceremonial rites at the time. Shoemon Ikama, head of the Ikama school of knives, which has a history of about 1100 years, was also involved in this.

Shikibocho is a food ceremony that has been passed down in the Imperial Court since the Heian period, and on celebratory days such as festivals, fish or poultry are cut on a large chopping board using only a knife and chopping chopsticks, representing an auspicious sign. One of these styles, the Ikima style, is carried on by the long-established restaurant "Mankiro."

Founded in 1722 (Kyoho 7) as a sake brewery in Nishijin, Kyoto, it later changed its name to "Mankiro" and became a traditional Japanese restaurant. It continues to carry on the traditions of court cuisine, which was once eaten mainly at the Imperial Palace, along with the formal knife ceremony.

The restaurant serves a variety of dishes that are traditionally arranged with a modern twist. Guests can enjoy elegant court cuisine and Kyoto kaiseki courses in a tatami room decorated with seasonal flowers, hanging scrolls, and other seasonal ambience to suit the taste of the day.

If you make a reservation at least five days in advance, you can also get a demonstration of how to use a formal knife (additional charge) before your meal. You will also be shown a set of tools with beautiful mother-of-pearl and shark skin work, as well as a calligraphy lesson in the Ikima style.

【Facility information】
Mankamerou
Address: 387 Hirukocho, Inokuma-dori, Izumi-kami, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto
Telephone 075-441-5020
営業時間　12:00〜15:00（入店は京懐石コース13:00まで、竹籠弁当は13:30まで）、17:30〜21:30（入店は19:00まで）
Closed: Wednesdays, the first and fourth Tuesdays of every month (subject to change depending on reservations)
Official website　https://www.mankamerou.com/

In addition to lavish decorations and cuisine, the Kan'ei Imperial Visit offered the highest level of hospitality, including Bugaku (traditional dance and music), Kemari (ball game), waka poetry, wind instruments, Noh, and horseback riding.

Kyoto was excited about this huge event, which put the prestige of the Tokugawa Shogunate on the line, and the movement towards cultural prosperity accelerated thereafter, leading to the blossoming of "Kan'ei culture."

In the second part, we will take a deeper look at its features!

We will also introduce spots where you can experience a part of the diverse artistic culture in this city, which is also known as the "hometown of Japanese culture."

Text by Erina Nomura

Erina Nomura
A writer born in Osaka in 1986 and currently living in Kyoto. After graduating from university, he worked for a production company involved in a variety of media, including publishing, advertising, and the web. In 2020, he went independent and is now working as a freelancer. His areas of interest include craftsmanship, traditional culture, lifestyle, and travel. As a Kyoto correspondent for Premium Japan, he reports on the latest happenings in Kyoto through the "Kyoto News" section of the editorial department's blog.