Nijo Castle (Nijōjō) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed and expanded it. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened up to the public as a historic site. Nijo Castle can be divided into three areas: the Honmaru (main circle of defense), the Ninomaru (secondary circle of defense) and some gardens that encircle the Honmaru and Ninomaru

The Ninomaru (outer fortress) Palace features a typical warrior Shoin style in the Momoyama period. The Shoin style takes its origin from Buddhist abbot's house structures.Measuring 3,300 square meters, the palace proper consists of five building units: the Entrance, Waiting Area, Reception, Inner Audience Chamber and Shogun's Quarters. In total, the palace has 33 rooms or 800 tatami mats.Japanese cypress wood, considered as a building material of finest quality for Japanese houses, is abundantly used for almost every part of the buildings. The paintings on the sliding doors (Fusuma doors) and walls of each room are masterpieces by great contemporary artists of the famous Kanō School. The rooms are decorated with a sophisticated set of Shoin style decoration items including beautifully-carved transoms, chic tokonoma alcoves, decorative doors, and even nail head covers using an auspicious flower design Plan of Ninomaru Palace 

Grand Audience Hall

6 building form a diagonal line from southeast to northwest, continuing from the Kurumayose (entranceway), Tozamurai (Entrance Hall/Waiting Area), Shikidai (Reception Area/Ministers' Room), Ohiroma (Audience Area), Kuro-Shoin (Inner Audience Chambers), and the Shiro-Shoin (Shogun's Living Quarters).

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Karamon Gate

Tozamurai

Ohiroma

Shikidai

Kuro-ShoinShiro-Shoin

Each are representatives of a samurai’s house building style in the Momoyama period (1573-1603). The total floor space of the buildings is 3,300 squared metres, and includes 33 rooms and over 800 tatami mats

Kurumayose (the richly decorated carriage entrance in the Ninomaru castle) and the Tozamurai-no-ma (Entrance Hall/Waiting Area) behind it

Entrance Hall/Waiting Area (Tozamurai-no-ma)

Tozaimurai-no-ma (Visiting Warriors Waiting Room)  This is the first room one sees upon entrance into the palace. Visiting warriors were directed here. Tozaimurai-no-ma were typical to most castles and samurai residences, however they were usually separate from the residence itself.

All together, these rooms comprise 10 rooms stretching over 1,000 square metres

In the Tozaimurai-no-ma, visiting samurai warriors waited while inspectors thoroughly checked the identity of their lord. Prominent to the rooms are beautiful pictures on the walls, intricate woodwork, panels and fusuma-e.These features run throughout the palace and in particular the painted walls and fusuma-e were done by Kano School artists

Apparently the Kano artists never saw real tigers. They simply based their work on hides of tigers and leopards that had been imported and drawings in texts they had seen. At the time, the artists actually believed leopards to be female tigers and painted them accordingly. During this time high esteem was attached to tigers and images of pine and willow. As a powerful first impression, Ieyasu Tokugawa  meant to instill an image of power and prestige to the tozama daimyo using these images

In Japanese culture there are many forms of greetings. Shikidai refers to a specific formal greeting carried out in this room by visiting tozama daimyo. In this room the protocol was for the shogun’s roju (minister) and sashaban (intermediary) to first meet the daimyo. The roju would greet the daimyo, then the sashaban would accept a gift on behalf of the shogun and then deliver it personally to the shogun

The Shikidai is composed of the four roomsSaid to be a meeting place for the shoguns council of elders(Rojū), it is of simple construction with white walls and a boarded ceiling. In the Ichi-no-ma and the Ni-no-ma is a screen of wild geese dancing from Spring to Autumn, in the San-no-ma is a wintery scene of Winter, faint willow covered in a blanket of snow with several heron dwelling quietly atop

The Shikidai

The Shikidai

Grand Audience Hall

After the Shikidai is the audience area

Grand Audience Hall

Kuroin [Black Study] This room was also referred to as Sakurama (Cherry Blossom Room), after its characteristic cherry blossoms on the sliding doors. It is referred to as the ‘Black Study’ due to the black lacquer door surroundings and other sections used throughout the room. This room was reserved only for those considered insiders by the Tokugawa clan. For example, ministers and other fudai daimyo

Like in Ohiroma-ichi-no-ma (Upper-Grand Chamber) there is also the chodai-gamai (body guard room) that has the thick orange ropes attached to the sliding doors. The shogun’s special guard stood at the ready in the case of an assassination attempt

Similar to Ohiro-no-ichi-no-ma, it displays décor consistent with the Samurai Shoin style. The screens were painted by Kano Hisanobu [1676-1731]

The area of The Kuroshoin, Inner

Audience Chambers was only accessible by

shogun's inner-circle lords such as Shinpan (relative lords) and Fudai (former

ally lords), whom he could trust. Shinpan lords refer to the three families of

Owari, Kii and Mito, namely, shogun's

relatives. Fudai stands for those whose families had been shogun's allies and

served the Tokugawa family for several

generations Kuroshoin (Second room)

Unfortunately, taking photographs is not allowed inside Nijo Castle due to the fragility of the artwork. The images which show the inside of the castle are postal cards

The area of The Kuroshoin, Inner Audience Chambers

The area of The Kuroshoin, Inner Audience Chambers

The area of The Kuroshoin, Inner Audience Chambers Chrysanthemum room

The area of The Kuroshoin, Inner Audience Chambers Chrysanthemum room

Shiroshoin was Shogun's Living QuartersThese are the innermost chambers exclusively used by the shogun as his living quarters. The interior decorations as well as paintings depicting mountains and rivers create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Entry to these quarters were restricted to female attendants

Ninomaru palacePainted Ceiling

Tozamurai

Tozamurai

Ohiroma Ni-no-ma

Chodai-gamai (body guard rooms) with the thick orange ropes attached to the sliding doors. The shogun’s special guard stood at the ready in the case of an assassination attempt

Ninomaru Palace Nijo CastleOhiroma great hall

Tsurigane (Temple Bells) and pine tree near Ninomaru-Goden Hall of Nijo Castle

Tsurigane (Temple Bells)   These two bells were used in times of emergency or attack. One of the bells was originally stationed at Shoshidai, a place to the northeast of Nijo Castle. The bells were set up to warn the castle of imminent attack by the emperor’s forces that supported the restoration of Emperor Meiji. The bell from Shoshidai was eventually brought here and now stands next to its twin. 

Small tea house at

Nijo Jo

Text & pictures: InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Japanese Instrumental Music

2016