Carriage tour of envoy from Tokyo Station to Palace revived

December 11, 2017

Tokyo- A horse-drawn carriage carrying a new ambassador to Japan to the Imperial Palace left Tokyo Station's entrance for distinguished guests for the first time in some 10 years on Monday.

The move followed the recent completion of construction of a new public square in the Marunouchi district in front of the capital's landmark train station.

Newly appointed foreign ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary will be provided with such a carriage or an automobile to attend a ceremony at the palace to present their letters of credence to Japanese Emperor Akihito.

The tour to the Imperial Palace had started from the nearby Meiji Seimei Kan building since April 2007, due to conservation and reconstruction work for the Tokyo Station building and construction of the square.

The carriage, led by two horses and driven by a member of staff from the Imperial Household Agency, left the station entrance at around 10 a.m. (1 a.m., GMT), to take the new ambassador of Benin to the palace.

Tourists and passers-by watched the traditional event. Jiji Press