The palace includes residences for the imperial family, the offices of the Imperial Household Agency and museums. In Japanese the emperor is called tenno, or “heavenly sovereign,” a nod to the idea that the imperial family is descended from gods. After modern Japanese emperors die, their names are changed to reflect the era in which they ruled. Until the 20th century, Japanese emperors usually had a chief wife and several concubines, all of whom were members of noble families. Japan is the only modern nation to still refer to the head of its royal family as emperor.

Source: New York Times August 08, 2016 06:17 UTC