二条城

Nijo Castle

Former Kyoto Residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns

Operating Hours

08:45 to 17:00, Last Entry 16:00 (Daily)

Nijo Castle was constructed in 1626 as the residence of the who were the during the . During the Edo Period, while the Imperial Family still existed, the actual power of ruling the country was held by the shogun. While the ruled from , modern-day Tokyo, Nijo Castle served as their residence in Kyoto when they visited the former capital.
As the castle was not built primarily as a defensive structure, rather as a location to welcome in guests and visitors, the architecture of the castle was made to impress and intimidate visitors. The castle used to also feature a five-story , however it was struck by lightning in 1750, burned down, and was never rebuilt.
Exterior of Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

Credit: Eleonora Albasi (Unsplash)

Recommended Spots in Nijo Castle

Exterior of Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

二の丸御殿

Ni-no-maru Palace

A massive 3,300sqm complex, the Palace consists of five buildings that are connected to one another, and are decorated in elaborate wood carvings, gold leaf embellishments, and made of . The building, made to host guests, was intended to impress visitors and showcase the power of the .

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鴬張り

Uguisubari

One of the interesting architectural aspects in the Ni-no-maru Palace is the Uguisubari, corridors that make chirping sounds like the nightingale bird when stepped upon.

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唐門

Kara-mon

The Kara-mon Gate marks the entrance to the Ni-no-maru Palace. Since the architecture of gates usually indicated its status, the Kara-mon Gate represented the highest status, with brightly colored carvings of lions, cranes, bamboo and more.

Nijo Castle Is Mentioned In

Getting to Nijo Castle

From

二条城前駅

Nijojo-mae Station

T

14

東西線

Tozai Line

Take Exit 1

Walk
3 mins
200m
From

京都駅

Kyoto Station

JR-E01

嵯峨野線

Sagano Line

JR-D01

奈良線

Nara Line

K

11

烏丸線

Karasuma Line

JR-A31

JR京都線

JR Kyōto Line

JR-A31

琵琶湖線

Biwako Line

Take Central Gate

Bus
19 mins
Take bus 市営9 from Kyoto Ekimae (京都駅前) bus stop to Nijojo mae (二条城前) bus stop.
From

二条城前バス停

Nijojo mae Bus Stop

Walk
1 min
110m
Main temple building at Kiyomizudera at night in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

京都

Kyoto

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