AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Crown Prince Akihito Wedding Memorial Monument stands within Wadakura Fountain Park, a public water garden in the Imperial Palace Outer Garden (Kokyo Gaien) in central Tokyo. Erected in April 1961, the stone marker records the national celebration surrounding Crown Prince Akihito's marriage to Michiko Shōda in 1959 and commemorates the construction of the fountain that became the park's centerpiece.↗↗
Today the park tells the story of two imperial weddings across two generations: the original fountain was built for Akihito's marriage, while the 1995 renovation expanded it into a full water garden celebrating Crown Prince Naruhito's wedding to Masako. The monument offers a quiet, tangible link between these events and the broader narrative of Japan's modern monarchy.↗↗
The Monument and Its Inscription
The monument is a modest stone marker inscribed with a declaration from the Crown Prince Wedding Memorial Grand Fountain Construction Committee. The text reads, in essence: this fountain was built to commemorate the marriage of His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akihito, funded through the celebratory enthusiasm of the entire nation; the committee expressed their wish to preserve this work of modern sculptural beauty as a symbol of peaceful Japan for future generations. It is dated April 10, 1961 (Showa 36).
