Nijō Castle
二条城 · Nakagyō, Kyoto
The Tokugawa shogunate's base in Kyoto: the Edo shogunate began here, and ended here.
Know before you go
- No photography inside the palace
- don't touch the painted doors or the building
- don't run in the corridors
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
The shogunate began here, and ended here
In 1601 Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the daimyō of western Japan to help build Nijō Castle as the shogunate's base in Kyoto; it was completed in 1626 under his grandson Iemitsu. More than two centuries later, in 1867, the fifteenth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, announced the 'restoration of imperial rule' in the Ninomaru Palace, returning power to the imperial court and bringing the Edo shogunate to an end.
Source: Wikipedia: Nijō Castle; Wikipedia: Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
In 1601 Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the daimyō of western Japan to help build Nijō Castle, completed in 1626 under his grandson Tokugawa Iemitsu. Its Ninomaru Palace is made up of six connected buildings almost entirely of hinoki cypress, and visitors were shown into different rooms according to their rank. In 1867 the fifteenth shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, announced the return of power to the imperial court (Taisei Hōkan) in the Ninomaru Palace. In 1939 the castle was given to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public the following year.
Local customs
- Remove your shoes to enter the Ninomaru Palace
- as you walk its corridors the floorboards chirp like birds — the 'nightingale floors'
Religion & beliefs
- Castle and palace
- no religious affiliation.
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- No photography inside the palace
- don't touch the painted doors or the building
- don't run in the corridors
Locals appreciate DO
Locals appreciate visitors who slow down in the Ninomaru Palace, listen to the 'birdsong' floors and look closely at the painted sliding doors.
Plan your visit
Practical info
| Best time | Cherry-blossom season in spring |
|---|---|
| Time needed | 1.5–2 hours |
Travel tips
- Get off at Nijōjō-mae station on the Tōzai subway line
- there are evening illuminations in cherry-blossom season
- allow 1.5–2 hours
Photos
Photos
Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0
CCP2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0
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