Palace-residence of the shoguns Nijzeyu

Nijo Castle is the fortified residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns in Japan. The castle is located in the former capital of Japan - Kyoto.

Construction of Ninjo Castle was begun in 1601 by order of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and completed in 1626, during the reign of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Since 1940 the castle has been open to visitors all year round.

In 1994, Ninjo was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List – Historic Kyoto. It is also one of Japan’s national treasures. The castle complex consists of many buildings and several gardens.

The area of the residence is about 275,000 square meters, 8000 of which are occupied by buildings. The complex includes Hommaru Castle and Ninomaru Castle. Ninomaru Palace is the central structure of Ninjo Castle. It covers an area of 3300 square meters. Ninomaru is designed in the classical Japanese style: the floor is covered with tatami, and the shoals of the walls of the castle are decorated with various ornaments with plants and animals. On the territory of Ninomaru there are several beautiful gardens, cherry groves and Japanese plum trees.