Nijo Castle

Après avoir fait pas mal de visites de temples et château, on a été moins emballé par notre visite du château Nijo. C’est joli mais c’est dommage qu’on né puisse pas prendre de photos de la visite intérieure. Quand on marche sur le parquet il y a un bruit comme un chant d’oiseau c’est assez marrant.
C’est joli mais on a moins accroché, je né le conseillerais pas si votre programme est chargé.
Entrée à 600 yens, proche d’une station de métro, la station Jr est un peu plus loin.

Before you start thinking this is some podunk Japanese teriyaki restaurant in Podunkville, U.S.A., let me assure you I’m taking about the real Nijo Castle with mannequins dressed up like shoguns within the walls of Ninomaru Palace (photo:
). I was halfway expecting Toshiro Mifune to come out and hand me the sword that would make me a samurai warrior. Now I don’t look as good as Richard Chamberlain did in a kimono, at least judging from the yukata robe I wore at the ryokan, and I did walk the hallowed halls of the palace with a hole in my Costco sock, presumably reason enough for harakiri during the Edo Period.
Nijo is not an imposing structure like Osaka Castle but a couple of low-​lying fortifications in an expansive setting in the middle of the city. The first thing we noticed were the swarms of uniformed schoolchildren who come here on de rigueur field trips, each group with a guide and official photographer. The Ninomaru Palace is the first stop where you take off your shoes and walk a very specific path following the successively elevated chambers that reflect the hierarchy of the shogunate. You’re not allowed to take photos, but you could well imagine what that period of history must have been like with the shoguns protected by the nightingale floors, i.e., they squeak should assassins pounce on them.
The rest of the tour consists of the gardens which were gorgeous in December as fall took its time to arrive this past year. Colors on many of the maple and gingko trees took on some brilliant hues even on a rain-​soaked morning (photo:
). The highlight is the Ninomaru Garden which features a large pond with three carefully manicured islands decorated by numerous carefully placed stones and topiary pine trees (photo:
). There is another palace, Honmaru, which looks even larger than Ninomaru, but it’s closed to visitors (photo:
). But if I was the shogun, I would demand they open the doors, but I wasn’t in an Akira Kurosawa movie.

Beautiful castle grounds that hold a great historical significance in regards to the history of Kyoto and Shogun. The audio tour works well to give a narrative history of the things you see walking around the castle grounds. If you have any interest in the Japanese Shogun or Japanese history then this is for you.

Expansive place with minimal entrance fee. Walk around the grounds at your leisure. Two sets of moats with two separate parts of the castle. The largest castle building allows you walk through its long corridors with your shoes off and no photos allowed. All wood construction with lots of wall paintings. However, many of the paintings are replicas with the originals at the nearby museum. Also, many wall lay bare as the paintings have been removed for restoration. The gardens and paths are tranquil and well kept. The whole area is not nearly as crowded as other sites like Kinkaku-​ji or Kiyomizu-​dera.

Love this place! The free tour inside the nijo castle is pretty cool. You may not take photos inside the castle but it is an eye opening experience.
The walk around the compound is nice, especially on a sunny day, as you are surrounded by perfectly trimmed manicured trees. What a sight indeed!

Have you ever been to the castle of a shogun???
Well I have and it’s pretty bloody cool, now there is no mind melting wow factor here, it’s cool in a more subtle way. You ain’t allowed to take photos inside and you have to leave your shoes at the door. It’s basically all wood, floors, walls, roof, etc. It’s pretty bloody big and as you wander round the main attraction is the nightingale floor. Basically a floor that it’s almost impossible to walk across without making noise. The reason for this was to protect the shogun from ninjas who wanted to creep in and assassinate him.
If you have any interest in history, samurai and ninjas, (I like all three) then this is a must visit. On top of the castle itself there is huge grounds to wander about and views to see.
If your in Kyoto you should defo check it out and see if you achieve the silent movement that the ninjas could not!

One friend thinks he’s a ninja and my other friend watches too many soap opera featuring this castle.
So we literally travelled an hour to get here just to check this place out.
Historic.
Tranquil.
Not very crowded.
This was like walking into some Japanese movie.
Worth the trip and history lesson.
You can view the chamber’s, walk through the peaceful garden, and observe small shrines.
No ninjas here or Hollywood effects but I wound up liking this place, much as one would like a museum.

Go in the morning to beat the crowds and the heat (if it’s summertime). There’s a lot of walking outdoors. The castle is most beautiful from the outside. Most artwork on display are replicas but you can view the originals for 100Y in a separate building

Forget Osaka Castle! If you want to experience a real Japanese castle, Nijo Castle is it! Listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site, this former Tokugawa residence is perhaps one of the most well-​preserved Japanese castles. In fact, it’s so well preserved that you can even walk in to the hall as a part of your admission!
For 600 yen, you have access to all parts of the castle except for the museum that housed the castle artifacts, which is a separate admission. Nijo Castle has two main components: the outer fortress and the inner fortress. You should explore the castle’s entirety, but if you are on a rush, the outer fortress will give you a good taste.
The outer fortress is marked by the shiny golden gate immediately outside the main hall within, which you can go inside! I have never been to an authentic Japanese castle before, so it was surreal for me to see the complicated room setup as I walk through the intentionally creaking nightingale floor. Although many original paintings are now stored in the castle museum, the interior still has remake paintings to give you the best glimpse of what the castle was back in the days.
Outside the main hall are the beautiful gardens and the inner fortress, which the main hall within is unfortunately not accessible. However, you can still explore around the gorgeous castle grounds and check out the overview of Nijo Castle from atop of the watchtower site!
Nijo Castle is definitely a top Kyoto attraction that I highly recommend. In the city of thousand shrines, this Japanese castle is also a nice break to experience a difference aspect of ancient Japanese culture. It is just right by a subway station anyway.
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tl;dr version:
1) Well-​preserved Japanese castle!
2) Main hall is accessible to walk around within
3) Top Kyoto attraction

No photography allowed at this UNESCO World Heritage Site; however, everyone still takes photos anyway.
What’s most intriguing about this site is the «nightingale floors» — which squeak and make noise when stepped on. Its purpose is to warn the occupants of any intruders or assassins that may come to kill the shoguns of the day. Incredible! :)
The gate of the Nijo Castle is «gold-​plated» — some stunning beauty.
Be sure to check out the gardens as well.
More photos here:

Although I haven’t visited enough castles to make a comparison, this one is awesome just by being one of Tokugawa’s residence (Edo Castle was their main residence). Oh, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Admission was 600y adults, 350y junior high/​high school students, and 200y primary school students. They’re open 8:45a — 5:00p (4:00p last ticket sale), but the Ninomaru Palace viewing hours are 9:00a — 4:00p. They’re closed every Tuesday in January, July, August, and December (the following day is closed if that Tuesday falls on a public holiday), as well as the New Year period (¹²⁄₂₆ — ¼).
My daughter and I came here on a Tuesday around 11:30a or so, and it wasn’t that crowded yet. Everything from the Karamon Gate to Ninomaru Palace to the moat and garden were amazing in structure and design. I simply admire all the people who had a hand in building this beautiful and intricate landmark.
The Ninomaru Palace was huge with many rooms (33 rooms total!). We had to take off our shoes at the entrance, and photos were prohibited inside. Certain hallways had squeaking floors called Nightingale floors that were intentionally made that way to alert the residents of any intruders. So cool. We also walked around the garden area, and climbed up the stone foundation of the former castle keep where we got a nice view of the castle grounds and moat. Most of the cherry blossoms haven’t blossomed yet when we were there, but a few of the weeping cherry blossoms were in full bloom and they were so pretty!

Surprisingly one of the highlight’s of my trip was visiting Nijo Castle. We visited Ninomaru Palace aka the Shongun’s Pad. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but walking through the palace and seeing the different waiting rooms and the Samurai and Courtesan Mannequins transported me to Feudal Japan. I would be afraid to run into the real Shogun! The palace grounds were tranquil and peaceful.
One of the neatest parts of visiting the castle were the squeaky ‘nightingale’ floors. When people walked over these floors, they squeaked like birds to warn of any intruders. Can’t nobody mess with the shogun!

This a beautiful example of a Japanese feudal castle. It was the official residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun. The grounds are huge – about 275,000 square meters. I had only one day in Kyoto and this was definitely on my to-​do list. If I had more time I would have spent more time here exploring the beautifully maintained grounds. The palace is a nice example of thew architecture of the period and I loved the paintings and the floorboards which sound like birds. These boards were used like a security system to warn the guards of intruders. I do wish there was more information in English about the palace that could be accessed without purchasing an audio guide. Maybe I would also consider doing a guided tour in English too if I had more time. Also it seems like during the holidays they have lights in the evening.

I am not well acquainted with Japan beyond the ownership of a Japanese car and a fondness for Japanese food and movies. However, I didn’t need more than a passing familiarity with the culture to be impressed by this castle. I was struck by the groundedness of the thick walls and timber. It was in stark juxtaposition to the graceful swooping roof lines, the intricate wooden carvings, the shining gold leaf and the zen atmosphere in the gardens.
Walking through the ancient rooms transported me back in time to shoguns, samurai and ninjas. Back in America, squeaky floors are not desirable. Apparently, the squeaky floors in this castle were created on purpose as a security measure. Can’t sneak around to kill the king, or in this case the shogun, if every step will betray your movements.
As my mom and I strolled through the rooms, I kept expecting to meet Richard Chamberlain or Ken Watanabe, in costume, come striding around the corner. The only thing that destroyed the illusion were the crowds of tourists like us and the asphalt at the entrance.

A definite destination if you are in Kyoto. Impressive palace of the head Shogun. You are really seeing much of what occurred 400 years ago… the floors you walk on, the walls, and grounds.
I definitely recommend having a guide to take you around as there is a lot of subtle information that will be missed if someone does not describe all the history and tradition that went into Nijo.
Much of the artwork on the walls has been taken down and put into archives but much else is retained and you really do get a feel for the splendor of the Shogun era.

Although my place is really close to here, I just have been in for a couple of times because I am not into things like Samurai and too close from my home so it’s not seem to me to be special castle. And yet since several years ago I have made a stop here for the incredible view of cherry blossom at special admission at night every spring. Honestly at the first time I had went, I had not expected that I came back the year of next! The trees were illuminated and the atmosphere is so romantic. I strongly recommend you to getting with your partner! Of course with your friends or by yourself is also cool! Beside of that they offered getting some local food and goods! I could enjoy both the view and shopping!
That good thing that is the admission fare is not the same as usual. You could not enter the castle, though. You just could walk around the garden.
And parking are available.

If you or your kids are into samurai, ninjas or medieval history, you’ll definitely want to visit Nijo Castle and check out its thick walls and nightingale floors. There are also beautiful gardens and koi-​filled waterways.
For those who are also into adventure or fantasy books, you can also get in the proper mood by reading the Across the Nightingale Floor trilogy.
We did some research up front and mostly walked around slightly confused on our own; probably would have been a bit more fulfilling with an English-​speaking guide.

Nijo-​jo Castle which is famous as the ground which the 15^th Shogun of Tokugawa government, Yoshinobu Tokugawa resigned his power and performed restoration of the Imperial rule. As for a castle, it reminds me of Osaka-​jo Castle and Himeji-​jo Castle having a magnificent donjon. However, this castle may have a tranquil impression. This castle consists of two building, Samurai’s residence-​like Ninomaru Palace and smaller Honmaru Palace surrounded by the moat and beautiful gardens.
Usually inside the Palace is open to public in spring and autumn. However due to the earth quake proof problem only the inside of Honmaru Palace cannot be seen for the time being. I went for the first time just recently, too. For the first time with my husband to see a special exhibition, next to see night cherry-​blossom viewing alone. I am considered a little bit stranger because I go to festivals, illumination, or night cherry-​blossom viewing alone.
Usually entering the castle is until four (it is closed at five). During illumination it has been opened until nine or ten. I wore Kimono by myself, as visitors in Kimono were allowed to enter the castle without charges. Because I had not worn Kimono by myself for a long time, it took much time. I hurried to be in time until closing. The castle was crowded with many visitors, couples, families or foreigners. The illuminated cherry-​blossoms at night and the gently lighting moon were very impressive! Various kinds of cherry-​blossoms such as double cherry blossoms, Yoshino cherry trees… I will never forget such beautiful scenery in my life. Not only cherry blossoms but also other seasonal flowers such as plum, camellia, crape myrtle, and so on. If you come here in another season, you will enjoy seeing other beautiful flowers.
After passing through the blossoms, I found the food stalls. I had Kitsune Udon (noodles made from wheat flower topped with seasoned fried thin bean curd) and Mitarashi Dango (dumplings topped over sweet syrup) to make my belly full. Udon was slightly expensive but tasted nice. Dumplings were so reasonable that visitors formed a long line.
Near the food corner, a sacred dance called Kagura was played with the musical performance of Japanese drum and flute.
I didn’t feel lonely at all, though I was alone. Rather I was refreshed. This is because I did a certain oath in the moon which shined far above the beautiful cherry blossoms at night. The content of the oath is a secret.

At first glance, Nijo-​jo Castle in Kyoto might not look very intruiging from the outside. Since this castle is hiding its treasures within two concentric fortifications, you will have to conquer the beauty within ;o)!
Passing through Karamon Gate you will find Ninomaru Palace, the castle´s main attraction, within the secondary circle of defence. An abundance of gold leaf and wood carvings, both ceilings and sliding doors beautifully painted will delight your senses.
All buildings of the palace are connected by corridors with so-​called «nightingale floors». They make squeaking sounds like a bird at each step you take and are an example of a perfect and witty security system — the shoguns must have been terribly afraid of enemies.
Nijo-​jo Castle as a Historic Monument of Ancient Kyoto and a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place you should definitely visit when in Kyoto. I only rate it 4 stars because pictures are not allowed inside Ninomaru Palace which made me a bit sad.