Kyoto Imperial Palace is the former residence of the Emperor of Japan, when Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan before the Meiji Restoration when the capital of Japan, and the Imperial Palace was moved to Tokyo in 1869. Unlike the current Tokyo Imperial Palace, the grounds and buildings of the Kyoto Imperial Palace are open to the public for viewing. With lavish gardens and architecture, you can get a taste of old Japan and a peek into the way past Emperors of Japan had lived before Japan had begun taking in Western influence as of the Meiji Restoration.