The Castle was originally built in 1603 to be the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu, and it was completed in 1626 by the third Shogun Iemitsu, who transferred some structures from Fushimi Castle, built in the Momoyama Period (1573-1614). When Yoshinobu, the fifteenth Tokugawa Shogun, returned sovereignty to the Emperor in 1867, the castle was given to the Imperial family. In 1884 it was renamed Nijo Detached Palace and in 1939 donated to the City of Kyoto renamed Nijo Castle and opened to the public.
In 1994 Nijo Castle was registered on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The Nijo Castle has two concentric rings of fortifications, both consisting of a wall and a wide moat.
The castle consists of the Ninomaru Palace & the Honmaru Palace, and various support buildings and several gardens. The most important, Ninomaru Palace, comprising 3300 square meters consists of five buildings, with 33 rooms and 800 Tatami (straw mats) in total. It is almost entirely contructed of Hinoki wood (Japanese cycress).
Location
Nijo Castle is located to the west of the centre of Kyoto.
How to Get There
Tozai Subway Line. Get off at Nijojo-mae Station
Times & Prices
Admission: 600 Yen
Hours: 08:45 to 17:00 (admission until 16:00). Closed on Tuesdays during January, July, August and December.
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