Nijō Castle

Name: Nijō Castle
Address: 604-8301 541, Kyoto, Kyoto, JP
Telephone: +81 75-841-0096

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Castles & palaces ·Kyoto ·Closed

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About

Nijo Castle in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan: Tokugawa shoguns' Kyoto residence and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Ninomaru Palace.

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What's on here

放鷹術の実演（11月30日）の実施について Monday · All day

Why go

The nightingale floors in the Ninomaru Palace corridors, which squeak underfoot with each step.
The Kanō school wall paintings of pines, birds and tigers on gold backgrounds, on the walls and sliding doors of the Ninomaru Palace.
The six connected main buildings of the Ninomaru Palace, built almost entirely of Hinoki cypress.
Emperor Hirohito's enthronement banquet, held at the castle in 1928.

Opening hours

Today08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00Show all

Monday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Tuesday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Wednesday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Thursday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Friday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Saturday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Sunday08:45 – 17:00, 18:00 – 22:00

Don't miss

Ōhiroma, the Great HallThe central core of the Ninomaru Palace. Its most important halls were painted under the direction of Tan'yū and his workshop.Middle of the Ninomaru Palace On the map
Ninomaru gardenDesigned by the tea master Kobori Enshū, with a large pond, three islands, placed stones and miniature pines. Designated a special scenic site.Grounds of the Ninomaru Palace On the map
Yanagi-no-ma, the Willow RoomThe first room you enter in the Ninomaru Palace.Ninomaru Palace, directly after the entrance On the map
Wall-painting exhibition and storage hallShows original wall paintings from the castle in rotating seasonal displays.Exhibition and storage hall for the castle's wall paintings, in the castle grounds On the map

Know before you go Legends and hidden details What's inside Tips for your visit Best time to visit With kids

Know before you go

Open daily, Monday to Sunday, from 08:45 to 17:00.
Tickets are sold online through a link to asoview.
The Honmaru Palace requires a reservation.
The Honmaru Palace is closed on the third Monday of each month and the day after.
The Honmaru Palace is closed from December 26 to 28 and from January 1 to 3.
The Honmaru Palace can be viewed on a national holiday.
Ninomaru Palace is closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August and December.
When a closed day falls on a national holiday, Ninomaru Palace closes the next day instead.
Usage restrictions have applied to the castle's first car park from 2026.
In summer, visitors are asked to take precautions against heatstroke.

Legends and hidden details

According to legend, the squeaking corridors were built to warn of intruders or would-be assassins.
The story goes that Kanō Tan'yū had to finish the decoration quickly, and that his family's fate depended on it.
The squeak comes from how the floorboards are fastened, not from a design against intruders. The chirp comes from clamps on nails, not an alarm.
The corridor around the first four buildings squeaks underfoot, which gave it the name Nachtigal-Flur.

What's inside

Reception rooms of the Ninomaru Palace, richly decorated, with a lot of gold used in the rooms.
Lower-ranked visitors were received in the outer rooms; important guests were admitted to the inner ones.
Honmaru Palace, opened to the public in 2024, with a sliding-door painting on view since 2026.
One hall of the Honmaru Palace has its own public viewing schedule.

Tips for your visit

Tickets can be bought online through asoview.

Best time to visit

Spring: the castle holds a cherry-blossom festival, and added night events in 2026.
Autumn: the castle holds an autumn festival with many events.
Each autumn: a citizens' grand tea gathering, with tea schools from four traditions.
Summer: in 2026 a special event gave special entry to the Ninomaru Palace, a national treasure, and its wall-painting displays.
The wall-painting exhibition hall changes its displays with the seasons, so what is on show depends on when you visit.

With kids

The wooden corridor floors squeak like birds, known as nightingale floors. Children can listen for the sound as they walk along them.
Falconry demonstrations are staged at the castle.

Interesting facts4

1/4

275,000 square
The castle covers 275,000 square metres, with 8,000 square metres occupied by buildings.
Nijō Castle - Wikipedia
The Ninomaru residence is the only surviving princely residence from the Edo period.
Burg Nijō - Wikipedia
The castle is named after the Nijō ōji road that ran beside it, the city's second east-west boulevard.
Burg Nijō - Wikipedia
Parts of the complex are classed as a national treasure.
Burg Nijō - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The shoguns seldom stayed in the castle, because their real seat lay in Edo. It stood mainly as a sign of power. Parts of Fushimi Castle, including its main tower, were moved here in 1625–26, and many Kanō school wall paintings were first made for Fushimi before coming here. The imperial cabinets moved into the castle the year after the shogunate ended, marking the start of the Meiji Restoration. After the Meiji era, the castle passed to the emperor and then to the city of Kyoto, which opened it to the public the following year.

1601Tokugawa Ieyasu has the castle built as a residence for shoguns in Kyoto.
1626The Ninomaru Palace is built for a visit by Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
1750The central keep is struck by lightning and burns to the ground.
1788A fire destroys the inner Honmaru palace.
1867Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa returns power to the Imperial Court in the Ninomaru Palace.

Show all

1893–94Part of the former Katsura Palace is moved here, and the present buildings date from this time.
1994The castle becomes part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, alongside other sites.

How to get there

TrainTake the Tozai Subway Line to Nijojo Mae station. The castle is at 541 Nijojo-cho, Horikawa-nishiiru, Nijo-dori, Nakagyo-ku.

Accessibility

Parking A parking lot for large buses is reserved for visitors. Usage restrictions for the first car park began in 2026.

Sources: Nijō Castle - Wikipedia · Kyoto/Central - Wikivoyage (see) · 世界遺産・元離宮二条城 · 世界遺産・元離宮二条城 · World Heritage Site Former Imperial Villa Nijo-… · Burg Nijō - Wikipedia · Château de Nijō - Wikipedia · Nijo Castle: tickets (its own site) · checked 18 Oct 2026

Where

604-8301 541, Kyoto

Website: nijo-jocastle.city.kyoto.lg.jp/
Phone: +81 75-841-0096

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

What are the opening hours of Nijo Castle?

Visitors can come every day of the week between 08:45 and 17:00. The Honmaru Palace is closed on the third Monday of each month and the day after.

How do I get to Nijo Castle?

Take the Tozai Subway Line to Nijojo Mae station. The castle is at 541 Nijojo-cho, Horikawa-nishiiru, Nijo-dori, Nakagyo-ku.

Do I need to book tickets for Nijo Castle?

Tickets are sold online via an asoview link. The Honmaru Palace requires a reservation.

Which days is Nijo Castle closed?

Ninomaru Palace is closed on Tuesdays in January, July, August and December. The Honmaru Palace is closed on the third Monday of each month and the day after, and on 26 to 28 December and 1 to 3 January.

Where can I park at Nijo Castle?

A parking lot for large buses is reserved for visitors. Usage restrictions on the castle's first car park began in 2026.

Is Nijo Castle suitable for children?

Children can listen for the nightingale floors, whose wooden boards squeak like birds with each step. Falconry demonstrations are staged at the castle.

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