• General Ieyasu Tokugawa built Nijo Castle in 1603 as protection of Kyoto Imperial Palace and a hostel　in Kyoto for the general. Afterwards, it completed by moving the relic in the Fushimi castle by the third General Iemitsu Tokugawa in 1626. The view is good at the so-called Momoyama age style by the synthesis of the painting and the sculpture, which were ordered to make by Iemitsu, construction during Keicho period, which Ieyasu built, and the relic during Bunroku period which were left by Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

• The southeast corner tower: Both towers on the north-east corner and the northwest corner were burnt down during the conflagration in 1788, and this southeast corner tower and the southwest corner tower remain in Nijo Castle now though the corner towers built in Kanei period were originally in four corners.

• Guard station: When the General did not stay in here, Nijo Castle was guarded by the samurai dispatched from Edo. Two groups (one group of 50 people) alternation every year in April watched. This guard station is one of such the stuff places, and the building is 19.6m in front and 6.06m depth, long and slender. The relic in the guard place is few, then this is a valuable buildings now.

• Chinese gate: Four-pillar gate with Japanese cypress skin roof and gable make before and behind the gate. The sculptures were used in abundance.

• Ninomaru palace
  The carriage porch: It is seen that was decorated gorgeously, when entering Chinese gate. The design of the transom sculpture is different with front and back view, and the front view has five Chinese imaginary birds, pine trees, peony flowers, clouds in upper, bamboo downward.

• Ninomaru garden: The garden was made in 1603 being harmonized with the construction of Nijo Castle.

• The Castle kitchen: It was built in 1626 with tile roof. In the entrance, big pillars of rectangular zelkova stand, and it is composed of the double door and the wicket of opening-in. The inside was composed of the big earth floor, the hall of board floor, the cooking floor. Moreover, the specification of the important cultural asset was received in 1950.

• As the extra, the structure of the "bush warbler" floored passage. The bush warbler floor sounds when the clamps at the center are pushed by the board of the passage.

Southeast corner tower.	Outer moat and southeast corner tower on the right	East front gate is the entrance of Nijo Castle.
Guard station	Chinese gate: Four-pillar gate with Japanese cypress skin roof.
Chinese gate from inside	Carriage porch, decorated gorgeously, design of the transom sculpture.
Carriage porch	Ninomaru garden made in 1603 being harmonized with the construction of Nijo Castle.		Tokugawa Shogunate ended in this hall.
The banquet hall has 1-4 rooms.	Main enclosure of the Castle.	Inner moat.	Inner moat and corner tower.
The castle kitchen	Big storage house.	East main gate and outer moat.	Illuminated southeast corner tower.

2007/04/01