Nijō Castle : A Study of Japanese Bibliography

This is all about Nijō Castle Ruins you want to know.
Every information you get on this site will be from a credible source based on Japanese history (books for reference).

"Kojō ezu(picture in Edo Period)" from 国立国会図書館

Collected by the Inagaki family, the Toba Daimyō from the mid-Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, as materials for military studies. There are about 350 illustrations, but there is no uniformity because only illustrations of castles, illustrations including castle towns, and old battlefield illustrations are mixed.

Another typical example of a castle picture in the Edo period is "The Shōhō Shiroezu", picture of the castle and castle town that the Edo Shogunate ordered the daimyō to create and submit,aggregating military information such as the buildings inside the castle, the height of the stone wall, the width of the moat and the water depth, etc., it also details the location and shape of the castle town and the mountain river.

"The Scenic (picture in Meiji Period)" from 国立国会図書館

Profile : Nijō Castle Ruins


Location	Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Also known as	ー
Type of castle	Flatland
Mountain's name	ー
Elevation	ー
Condition	Ruins
Designation	World Cultural Heritage Sites National Treasure National Important Cultural Properties National Historic Sites National Special place of scenic beauty
Year built	1603
Abolished	1873
Castle lord	Tokugawa Ieyasu
Refurbishment lord	Tokugawa Hidetada, Tokugawa Iemitsu

Portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu from **"Wikipedia"**

Family Crest from "Bukan Complete Works" (produced by CODH)
adapted from "Classical Japanese National Data Set" (Kokubunken Collection)

The family crest was originally created from the pattern that the emperor and the royal family put on the kimono, and the pattern was made into a fixed pattern, and the one attached to his own oxcart is said to be the beginning of the family crest. The warlords drew large crests on the flag-fingers, used to distinguish enemy views on the battlefield, and used by the generals to determine which warlords were active and how much.

Nijō Castle admission

admission fee : 1030yen (Adult : included fee of Ninomaru Palace ) 350yen(over junior high school students) 200yen(elementary school students)
admission time : am8:45-pm4 (castle) am8:45-pm4:10(Ninomaru Palace)
summer (July1-August 31) : am8-pm5 (castle) am8:45-pm5:10(Ninomaru Palace)
closing period : December 29 - 31(castle) every Tuesday on January, July, August, and December December26-28 January1-3 　reference official site 　　　

Nijō Castle Google Map

Nijō Castle Images

The purpose of the castle was not to serve as a defensive base, but as a symbol of the Tokugawa family who took the world and to show dignity to the capital and daimyō throughout the country. This is also because the world was almost settled peacefully and Fushimi Castle was nearby. Nijo Castle's general contract was continued for the second generation Hidetada and the third generation Iemitsu, It is Iemitsu's generation that has become today's figure. The renovation that took place in Hidetada's era was a major one, including changes to territory.

The Ninomaru Palace

Designated as a national treasure, It has a particularly high historical value. The architectural style, the carriage porch, the hall, the Kuroshoin, the Shiroshoin, the Nagaya and the Samurai Shoin are completely preserved. It is also a gorgeous Momoyama Period building with many treasures, murals and sculptures.

Eastsouth corner Yagura

The main keep was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1750. After that it was not rebuilt.

The builder was Tōdō Takatora , who is said to be a master of the castle. At this time, Takatora proposed several ideas to Hidetada, and eventually contracted according to the plan decided by Hidetada. After that, it was advertised that the castle was built by the general himself and raised the reputation of Hidetada. It is an episode that seems to be Takatora who is not only a master of castle construction but also known as a man has worldly wisdom.

Nijo Castle was registered as a World Heritage Site as one of the 17 historical sites that are "Cultural Properties of Ancient Kyoto". Among the famous temples, shrines in Kyoto, such as Kinkakuji Temple, Ginkakuji temple, Byodo-in Temple, Enryaku-ji Temple and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Nijo Castle is the only castle designated as a castle.

Higashi Ōtemon Gate

Tokugawa Yoshinobu was the 15th and last general of the Edo Shogunate. It was a big event at Nijo Castle that the inauguration of the general was held and that the shogunate was ended by repatriation. Indeed, it can be said to be one of the indispensable castles when talking about Japanese history.

Link-1 : World Heritage Sites

【south japan】Nakijin Castle 【south japan】Nakagusuku Castle 【south japan】Shuri Castle 【west japan】Nijō Castle

Link-2 : A castle closely related to [block]7[/block]

【east japan】Edo Castle 【central japan】Okazaki Castle 【central japan】Sunpu Castle 【central japan】Nagashino Castle 【central japan】 Nagoya Castle 【west japan】Ōsaka Castle 【west japan】Nijō castle