Nijo Castle Exteriors

Nijo Castle in Kyoto has been designated a World Heritage site.

(Some photos by Van)

Saturday February 12, 2005

Nijo Castle was built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyaso when he became Japan's first shogun after his victory near Sekigahara in 1600. It remained the shogun's Kyoto residence until 1867 when Emperor Meiji was restored to power and the 15th shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu transferred ownership of Nijo Castle to the Emperor. In 1868, the Imperial Cabinet was installed in the castle. Nijo Castle opened to the public in 1940, one year after being donated to the city of Kyoto.

The castle is surrounded by a moat and big walls and is divided into two areas: the Ninomaru Palace with surrounding garden, and the inner keep, the Honmaru Palace. Honmaru Palace is closed to the public most of the year.

Ninomaru Palace, originally built in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyaso, was completed by the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. The palace consists of five buildings with a total of 33 rooms covering over 800 tatamis. The main access to Ninomaru Palace is through the main gate, Kara Mon.

The nipple door.

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Wow, it's gorgeous!

Posted by Ryan on February 13, 2005 06:32 AM