Nijo Castle

After lunch, we’ll step back into Japan’s feudal past during a visit to Nijo
Castle (Nijō-jō), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period, a shogunate dynasty that would rule Japan for the next two and a half
centuries. Being so close to the might of the Emperor in the nearby Imperial Palace, Ieyasu didn’t rely on just walls and moats to fortify his castle. As insurance against treachery, he had “nightingale floors” installed, floorboards that would creak when walked upon by intruders, along with concealed alcoves where his bodyguards could keep watch. The 400-year-old buildings and gorgeous gardens of Nijo Castle offer a rare glimpse into the early Edo period.Læs mere