Nijo Castle
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Monuments Of Ancient Kyoto (1994); The Ninomaru Palace Is A National Treasure · Kyoto, Kyoto
A flatland castle in the centre of Kyoto, built for Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, and completed in 1603 as his residence when he visited the imperial capital. Within its moats and stone walls, the Ninomaru Palace, a National Treasure, is the finest surviving example of a samurai palace, a chain of wooden halls with some 33 rooms whose walls and sliding doors are covered with gold-leafed paintings by artists of the Kano school. Its corridors have the famous nightingale floors, which chirp underfoot as you walk. In 1867 the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, announced the return of political power to the emperor in the palace's great hall, ending over 260 years of Tokugawa rule. The inner Honmaru area holds a later palace moved here from the imperial palace grounds and the stone base of a lost keep. The castle is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage Site, and its gardens are loved for cherry blossom and evening illuminations.
541 Nijojocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto, 604-8301, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the castle opens at about 8:45 am and closes around 5 pm, with last entry about an hour earlier, around 4 pm; the Ninomaru Palace closes slightly earlier. Closing days are about December 29 to 31, and the Ninomaru Palace has historically closed on Tuesdays in some months, such as January, July, August and December. Traps: late arrivals miss the palace last entry; the Honmaru Palace opens only at limited times; evening events need separate tickets. Confirm current hours and closing days before relying on them.