Nijo Castle Interiors

One of 33 tatami-covered rooms in Ninomaru Palace, Nijo Castle, Kyoto.

(Photos by Van)

Sunday February 13, 2005

The rooms and sliding doors of Ninomaru Palace all display paintings by great masters of the Kano School.

The tigers depicted in some rooms were painted from hides, as live tigers had never been brought to Japan.

Beautifully detailed carvings run above the doorways of most rooms.

All the rooms are surrounded by a hallway made up of wooden planks, known as the nightingale floor. Metal crampons underneath the planks move up and down when walked upon, creating friction with the nails and emitting a chirping sound. An intruder trying to enter the rooms from outside would have to cross the hallway, alerting the people inside.

The Ohiroma Yon-no-Ma room, used exclusively for meetings of the shogun with feudal lords. The feudal lords are lined up, bowing. The shogun's chancellor is on the left.

The shogun receiving the feudal lords. His young sword-bearer is on the right.

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Found your site by pleasant accident. what's your story?

Posted by nigel on February 14, 2005 04:49 AM

Love the pictures, love you, what an adventure!!!!

Posted by Sharon Whyte on February 27, 2005 01:01 PM