Nijō Castle @ 二条城

Location: 541 Nijojo-cho, Horikawa-nishiiru, Nijo-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City
Tel: 075-841-0096
How to get there: Take Tozai Subway Line to Nijojo Mae

This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site that we visited today in Kyoto. We were really impressed with the huge garden in its surrounding. Personally, we also attracted to the architectural of the building, where it really bring one back to the old era of the shogunate in Japan.

When we were entering the castle, imagine that we need to pass by the huge gate with beautifully decorated carving on the door. Besides that, the door also plated with gold-color iron to make it more grandeur.

The castle consists of 2 concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square meters, of which 8000 square meters is occupied by buildings.

Personally, I like to visit this castle due to I'm able to relates myself in the classic era. Though there is almost empty in the palace, but one still able to understand the functions of every available room in the palace. A first glance will not able to let one know many things, but with the help of the some display of wording and some was people, you can imagine how does the palace looks like or operating in the past.

There is one thing captivated my attention in this castle. Though in old era there wasn't any security system such as alarm installed, the castle still able to have such kind of 'security' in the castle. The floors able to squeak when someone walks on the floor (nightingale floors). An innovative way to counter against intruders in the castle.

Besides that, in the castle, all the rooms looks alike, with the sliding doors and square in shape. However, each room has their own functions and divided into:

• Yanagi-no-ma (Willow Room)
• Wakamatsu-no-ma (Young Pine Room)
• Tozamurai-no-ma (Retainers' Room)
• Shikidai-no-ma (Reception Room)
• Rōchu-no-ma (Ministers' Offices)
• Chokushi-no-ma (Imperial Messenger's Room)

Outside the castle, there are several gardens and groves of cherry and ume trees.

The castle was built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of Tokugawa Shogunate. It was completed in 1626 by Tokugawa Iemitsu, grandson of Ieyasu. In year 1750, it was strucked by lightning and burned to the ground.

In 1788 the Inner Palace was destroyed by a city-wide fire. The site remained empty until 1862.

In 1867 the Ninomaru Palace was the stage for the declaration by Tokugawa Yoshinobu, returning the authority to the Imperial Court. Next year the Imperial Cabinet was installed in the castle. In 1939 the palace was donated to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public the following year.

One may get more information from its website: http://www.city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/nijojo/.