A room of the State Guest House Akasaka Palace in Tokyo is set to be opened to the public as the first of a series of special events to mark the 50th anniversary on Thursday of the start of its use as a venue to host foreign dignitaries visiting Japan.
To be opened from Thursday to April 26 is the Nishi no Ma room, which preserves items such as folk crafts that were donated by prefectures around Japan at the time the building started to be used as a state guest house.
Its Western-style main building was constructed in 1909, during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), initially as Togu Gosho, or the Crown Prince's Palace. It underwent renovations after World War II, and has been used as a venue for diplomatic events, such as Japan-U.S. summits, since it began to play its role as a state guest house in 1974.