Experts' Choice Award Nijo Castle
What the experts agree on
Built in 1603 as the Tokugawa shogun's opulent Kyoto residence, Nijo Castle impresses with gold-leaf paintings, ornate ceilings, and lavish ceremonial rooms that showcase power rather than military defense—a rare architectural statement among Japan's
“The ceremonial rooms are embellished with paintings finished with gold, exemplary works of the Kano school, lavishly decorated coffered ceilings and superb tokonoma, altars which honour the ancestors.”
– Michelin Guide
Fodor's "Nijo Castle, begun in 1603, is a grandiose and unequivocal statement of the shogunate's power." Full review
Frommer's "The Tokugawa shogun's Kyoto home stands in stark contrast to most of Japan's other remaining castles, which were constructed purely for defense." Full review
U.S. News & World Report7.0
"Unlike other noble homes of the day, Tokugawa's gleaming white structure – decorated with ornate wood carvings – was built for show, not for defense." Full review
National Geographic "Nijo Castle, the residence of Tokugawa shoguns, stands in the heart of the city as a testimony of the power that the Shoguns wielded over the emperors throughout the Edo Period. The..."
Lonely Planet "The Nakagyō ward in the heart of Kyoto is home to Nijō Castle, the former residence of the Tokugawa Shogun, the lineage of militaristic dictators who ruled Jan during the Edo period. It..."
