Nijō Castle

Castle Kyoto, Japan

Nijō Castle (二条城 ) is a flatland castle consisting of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and many gardens. Nijo Castle was built by the Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu, in 1603 to protect Kyoto Imperial Palace and as a residence for the shogun when he visited Kyoto; completed in 1626 by the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, who used the remains of castles such as Fushimi Castle to achieve it. This Castle witnessed not only the rise and fall of the Tokugawa but also overlooked changes in Japanese History; it is, in fact, one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.