Nijo-jo Castle

When I was in Kyoto, I visited a Palace called Nijo-jo. Of all the things I saw in Kyoto, this was by far my favorite. It was originally built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. It was completed in 1626 by the third Tokugawa Shogun. Its a clear example of traditional Edo period style building design, with lavish paintings and carvings everywhere. Its a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and when I went there I understood what all the whooplaw was about.

Complete with a large scale garden in shoin zukuri stype, in the center of the pond stands one large isand- the island of eternal happiness. My favorite part about Nijo-jo had to be the wall paintings. Photography is prohibitted inside, but I snuck a shot to illustrate how ornate everything was inside.

There are over 3,000 paintings in the building, including works fom the Meiji Period. Of the total, 954 were designated as Important Cultural Properties in 1982. The walls are all painted gold, and elaborate tigers fight on the walls set against beutiful landscapes of mountain peaks and cherry blossom flowers.

Another cool aspect of the Palace is that the floors are built intentionally to squeak and groan. They are called "Mockingbird Floors" and were used to let the Tokugawan Shogun know when people where walking about his crib.