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Nijo Castle

Following his victory at the famous Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu established his power base at a new castle in Edo, modern-day Tokyo. However, he also decided to build a castle in the ancient capital of Kyoto to serve as his military garrison. It was also designed to double as an administrative headquarters for the Kansai region, as well as his residence when visiting on official business. However, Nijo Castle was much more than a centre for local government. The entire complex would serve to advertise the extent of the shogun’s hegemony through an awe-inspiring display of artistic taste and wealth. In a real sense, it re-affirmed the moral authority to rule that had been assumed by the Tokugawa clan in the wake of Sekigahara.

Whilst today it goes by the name of “castle”, it was, in fact, little more than a fortified palace – a place for ceremonial ritual, rather than defensive capabilities. The castle’s main audience chambers are monumental “Momoyama-style” structures. Judging by the level of craftsmanship, Ieyasu had clearly commissioned some of the country’s finest artisans and landscape painters – using the best materials available and sparing no expense. These golden hallways contain some of the grandest and most intricate carvings to have survived from this period. Nijo Castle was rarely used by the Tokugawa shoguns. From 1634 it fell into neglect and would not receive another visit by a shogun for over 230 years. Following the abolition of the shogunate in 1868, and the restoration of the Emperor’s powers, the castle was handed over to the Imperial Household. In 1994 it made its way onto UNESCO’s list of “World Heritage” sites.

Date of Construction: Built between 1601 and 1626, principally by the Tokugawa shoguns, Ieyasu and Iemitsu

Highlights: Grand Audience Chamber (Ohiroma); “Black Room” (Kuro-shoin); murals by Kano Tanyu and Kano Nao-nobu; Nino-Maru Garden