Built in 1603, this castle belongs to one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is the place where the last shogun restored the emperor back to power in 1867.
Nijo Castle area consists of (among others) three astounding gardens, which have been ranked among one of the most beautiful in Japan. They are really impressive during the cherry blossom season, so get a camera and take pictures of your surroundings; you will get to boast about the beauty later.
The castle is full of displays of Japanese art style, mainly painted on screens in the main chamber. One of the castle's defences is the floor, which was specifically constructed to squeak, so the guards can hear enemies who broke inside.
The grounds are quite big, so if you plan to see everything thoroughly, bring comfortable walking shoes. Note - you need to remove them before going inside. You can get here by a few trains, Nijo station - Hashidate, San-In Line, and Tozai Line.
Nijo-jo Castle and Ninomaru-goten Palace Closed Days
By closing Nijo-jo Castle and Ninomaru-goten Palace regularly, we make efforts to preserve and manage their valuable cultural assets, including Ninomaru-goten Palace, a national treasure, and wall paintings.
Castle closed days
December 29 – 31
Opening hours
8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (closing time: 5:00 p.m.)
Ninomaru-goten Palace visit reception hours
8:45 a.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Ninomaru-goten Palace closed days
Every Tuesday in January, July, August, and December every year, January 1 – 3, and December 26 – 28
* When any of the above-mentioned days fall on a public holiday, Ninomaru-goten Palace will be closed the following day instead.
Nijo-jo Castle/Ninomaru-goten Palace:
General admission: 1300 JPY
Students: 400 JPY
Pupils: 300 JPY
Children (under 6): free
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nijō_Castle
Official website http://www.city.kyoto.jp/bunshi/nijojo/
Phone +81 75 841 0096
Address 541 Nijojocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto 604-8301, Japan
Coordinates 35°0'50.255" N 135°44'54.775" E
