The government began a 12-day public opening of the Kyoto State Guesthouse on Thursday as a trial run before year-round access begins in July.
The government is opening up the Japanese-style facility used to accommodate heads of states, prime ministers and other guests from foreign countries in a bid to help boost tourism at a time when the number of foreign visitors to the country is increasing.
Visitors can enter free of charge using tickets provided at the facility on a first-come, first-served basis. No prior reservation is needed, with visitors able to tour four rooms and part of the guesthouse garden.
When distribution of the first set of tickets began at 9 a.m., around 400 people were in a queue at the entrance gate.
"It is luxurious, and each and every object is precious. It would be nice to have it open throughout the year," said Masayuki Ito, 65, from Shizuoka Prefecture.
The guesthouse, established in 2005, had previously been open to visitors only for a limited period of around 10 days a year.
The Akasaka Palace State Guesthouse in Tokyo has been open to the public since April 19.