The Imperial Court holds a number of ceremonies and events over the year in addition to the People's Visit to the Palace for the New Year Greeting and Their Majesties' Garden Parties, both of which are well known to the people of Japan. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and other members of the Imperial Family have been involved in a wide range of activities, such as carrying out their official duties domestically, and fostering friendly relations with foreign countries. The Imperial Household Agency takes charge of the state administration with reference to those activities and the management of the Imperial House Use Properties, and performs a wide range of services for the Imperial Family.

The Imperial Household Agency also serves to preserve the traditional arts that Japan is proud of for future generations. The gagaku (Japanese Imperial Court Music), which dates from the tenth century, has been handed down from generation to generation under the patronage of the Imperial House. The gagaku performed by musicians of the Imperial Court has been designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan. They perform not only for the Imperial Court but also for public performances on a regular basis and, in response to the request from the Agency for Cultural Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they also give public performance in the local regions of Japan and overseas.