Nijo Castle

The amazing Nijo Castle is an ostentatious display of wealth and power in contrast with the austerity often shown in the buildings of the Imperial nobility. Built in 1606, and rebuilt after a fire in 1788, the huge walls, moats and towers exude military might. Inside, the Kano School of artists depicted tigers and leopards whose ferocity and power were chosen to symbolize Tokugawa strength. As you walk through the castle, you will enjoy the wooden "nightingale floors" that squeak merrily, not as an aesthetic pleasure, but to serve as an alarm against night intruders.