The Castles of Kyoto

Written by Emma, Australia, March 2013

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Tip - What to See & Do, Castle

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Comment from Emma

Kyoto’s Nijo Castle is a survivor from an era when shoguns ruled Japan and was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Japan’s most powerful shogun of the time, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The Edo Period (1603-1867) was one of the most fascinating and culturally rich periods in Japan’s history and a tour through Nijo Castle is a chance to go back to a time of samurai and ancient traditions.

The original Ninomaru Palace is the castle’s main attraction and consists of several buildings connected by corridors with ‘nightingale floors’. These floors were designed to squeak when stepped upon in order to guard against intruders. Rooms in the palace are covered in tatami mats and still feature their exquisitely decorated ceilings and painted sliding doors. A traditional Japanese landscape garden lies just outside the palace.

Editor’s Note: This recommendation was taken from our Kyoto Things to Do blog. Visit the original post to continue reading the full post and to learn more about things to do in Kyoto.

Photo courtesy of Araisyohei via Wikimedia Commons

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