Have you heard of Nijo Castle? The Former Nijo Castle Ruins Stele marks a significant spot in Kyoto. It whispers tales of power, transition, and lasting heritage.
Nijo Castle itself is more than just a structure. It is a flatland castle with two concentric rings of fortifications. These rings include the Ninomaru Palace, Honmaru Palace ruins, support buildings, and gardens. The castle spans 275,000 square meters. Buildings occupy 8,000 square meters of this area.
In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered feudal lords to help construct Nijo Castle. Construction finished in 1626 during his grandson Iemitsu’s reign. Part of the Shinsenen Garden was absorbed during construction. Water from the garden was used in the castle’s ponds. Pieces of Fushimi Castle were moved here in 1625-26.
Nijo Castle served as the Kyoto residence for Tokugawa shoguns. Though Edo was the capital, Kyoto remained the Imperial Court’s home. The Kyoto Imperial Palace sits northeast of Nijo Castle. Lightning destroyed the central keep in 1750. A city fire in 1788 ruined the Inner Ward. In 1893, a prince’s residence from the Kyoto Imperial Palace replaced it.
Tokugawa Yoshinobu declared the return of authority to the Imperial Court in 1867 at Ninomaru Palace. The Imperial Cabinet was installed in the castle in 1868. It became imperial property. The Tokugawa hollyhock crest was replaced with the imperial chrysanthemum.
In 1939, the palace was donated to Kyoto and opened to the public. Typhoons have since caused plaster to peel off the walls. The karamon gate of Toyokuni Shrine may have originated at Hideyoshi’s Fushimi Castle. When that castle was dismantled in 1623, the gate moved to Nijo Castle. It then went to Konchi-in and finally to Toyokuni Shrine in 1876.
Nijo Castle has two rings of fortifications with walls and moats. The outer wall has three gates. The inner wall has two. The inner wall’s southwest corner holds the remains of a five-story keep. A fire destroyed it in 1750. The Inner Ward contains Honmaru Palace and its garden. Ninomaru Palace, kitchens, a guard house, and gardens lie between the fortifications.
The Ninomaru Palace covers 3,300 square meters. It consists of six connected buildings made of Hinoki cypress. Lavish gold leaf and wood carvings decorate it. These were intended to impress visitors with the shoguns’ power. Kanō school artists created the wall paintings. The six main buildings are National Treasures. Other buildings are Important Cultural Properties.
The castle is an example of social control through architecture. Low-ranking visitors were received in the outer areas. High-ranking visitors saw the inner chambers. Entrances for bodyguards were prominently displayed to intimidate Edo-period visitors.
One striking feature is the nightingale floors in the corridors. They make a chirping sound when walked on. This is due to clamps moving against nails in the wooden beams. Some rooms had doors for the shogun’s bodyguard to sneak out.
The Honmaru Palace covers 1,600 square meters. It includes living quarters, reception rooms, entrance halls, and a kitchen. Corridors and courtyards connect the areas. The style is late Edo period. Famous masters like Kanō Eigaku created the paintings. The current structures replaced the originals between 1893 and 1894. Part of the former Katsura Palace was moved here.
The castle grounds feature gardens with cherry and plum trees. Kobori Enshū designed the Ninomaru garden. It has a large pond with three islands, stones, and topiary pine trees. The Seiryū-en garden was built in 1965. It has tea houses and stones.
Nijo Castle symbolizes the power of the Tokugawa shogunate. Built to remind Kyoto’s citizens and emperor where the true power resided. It remains one of Japan’s best examples of feudal palace architecture. After the Tokugawa government fell in 1867, it briefly served as an imperial residence. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.