Nijo castle

The castle consists of the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various supporting buildings and several gardens. It is one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

It was the residencial palace of the Tokugawa shoguns in Kyoto, who had been ruling Japan for over 260 years from 1603 to 1868. The wide moat, massive stone walls, and heavy elaborate gates are still impressive.

Inside the palace are several masterpieces of Japanese art, most notably the painted screens of the main chamber. In this room the shoguns met the daimyo (high-ranking warlord-administrators) who sought an audience. The screens were painted by artists of the Kano school and use rich colors and large amounts of gilt to depict flowers, trees, birds and tigers. Another well-known feature in the palace is the famous "nightingale floors," which were designed to squeak when steped on and thus alert guards to any intruders.

Access: A short walk from City Bus Stop Nijo-jo-mae (from JR Kyoto Station/Hankyu Railway Karasuma Station), or Nijo-jo-mae Station on the Tozai Subway Line
Hours: 8:45-16:00 closing at 17:00
Closed: 12/26-1/4 and Tuesdays (Jul. Aug. Dec. Jan.) (If the Tuesday is a holiday, the castle closes the following day.)