The main residence of the Japanese shoguns is the city. Japan: Nijo Castle and its Gardens

Nijo Castle

Nijo is a castle in Kyoto. Nijo Castle began construction in 1603 as the official residence of the Tokugawa dynasty shoguns during their visits to Kyoto. The construction was completed by the third shogun Iemitsu in 1626. He also moved several buildings here from Fushimi Castle.
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Nijo Castle was built not far from the imperial palace, which was done deliberately. Nijo, with its monumentality, demonstrated the power and might of the Tokugawa house; it surpassed the imperial palace in both space and beauty. With his greatness he had to
dispel any doubts about the inviolability of the power of the shoguns of the Tokugawa house.

On the grounds of Nijo Castle there are several buildings, the main of which is the Ninomaru Palace, each room of which served a specific purpose and was therefore decorated with greater or less luxury. But before getting here, the visitor had to go through some kind of control at the guardhouse - Bansho, it was adjacent to the eastern main gate. In the period 1633-1863, if the shogun was absent from the castle, the entrance was guarded by guards, 50 people were on duty alternately.
Later, a special room for guards appeared. Built in 1608, Bansho is preserved as a rare example of this type of building and is a cultural property of Japan.

There was also a special room, Chokushi no ma, where messengers from the emperor were received. The walls and doors were painted with maples, the artists of the Kano school conveyed all the beauty of the purple leaves of these
trees in autumn. The decoration of the room was luxurious.

Ninomaru Garden is designed in the classical traditions of Japanese garden art. It is located around a large pond; stones of different shapes, sizes, and colors are scattered throughout the garden. The art of their arrangement was considered the main thing in the work of a garden artist; stones were selected according to shape, color, texture, as well as the correspondence of all these qualities to the general character of the garden, its style and purpose. In the center of the pond there are three islands: Horai-jima (Eternal Happiness Island), Tsuru-jima (Crane Island), Kame-jima (Turtle Island). These names were not chosen by chance: according to Chinese, Korean and Japanese mythology, the crane and turtle were symbols of longevity. The design of the garden is associated with the name of the great master of the Tea Ceremony and landscape architecture
Kobori Enshu (1579-1647).

There is another garden on the grounds of Nijo Castle, Seiryu-en, but it was created in 1965. Official receptions for city guests or cultural events, such as a tea ceremony for townspeople, are held there. There are two tea houses built in the garden; 1000 stones give it a unique look.

Nijo Castle is listed as a historical relic of Japan, and Ninomaru Palace is declared a national treasure by the Japanese government. The castle covers an area of 275,000 square meters. m, it is surrounded by wide ditches filled with water. Nijo Castle is open to the public all year round and is
one of the most popular attractions of the old capital of Japan - Kyoto.

Nijo Castle in Japan

Nijo Castle was built in 1603 and was the official residence of the first shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, Ieyasu. The castle took on its final form only in 1626. Several times different parts of the castle burned to the ground and were restored.

In 1994, UNESCO included Nijo Castle on its World Heritage List.

Nijo Castle was built not far from the imperial palace, which was done deliberately. Nijo, with its monumentality, demonstrated the power and might of the Tokugawa house; it surpassed the imperial palace in both space and beauty. With his greatness, he was supposed to dispel any doubts about the inviolability of the power of the shoguns of the Tokugawa house.

On the grounds of Nijo Castle there are several buildings, the main of which is the Ninomaru Palace, each room of which served a specific purpose and was therefore decorated with greater or less luxury.

But before getting here, the visitor had to go through some kind of control at the guardhouse - Bansho, it was adjacent to the eastern main gate. In the period 1633-1863, if the shogun was absent from the castle, the entrance was guarded by guards, 50 people were on duty alternately. Later, a special room for guards appeared. Built in 1608, Bansho is preserved as a rare example of this type of building and is a cultural property of Japan.

The layout of the premises in the Ninomaru Palace was carefully thought out, including the procedure for receiving visitors. There was no way for them to enter the shogun's inner chambers unnoticed; a whole series of ingenious precautions served this purpose. Upon entering the palace grounds, the daimyo (feudal prince) had to pass through Yanagi no ma (Iwa's room) and Wakamatsu no ma (Young pine room), where guards checked the authenticity of his identity. Next he went to Tozamurai no ma (vassals' room), where he awaited an invitation to an audience. The walls and doors of this room were painted with figures of animals outlandish for Japan - the artist depicted playing leopards and tigers.
Next was Shikidai no ma (reception room), here the shogun officials met the daimyo and accepted the gifts brought for the shogun. The sliding doors and walls of this room were made from massive old pine trees and painted by artist Kano Tanyu.
The palace had three large halls. Ohiroma san no ma (third large hall) was a waiting room for the tozama daimyo, this was that part of the feudal lords who opposed Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara and therefore were in disgrace.
The decoration of this hall was rich, each panel of the window frame was made from a whole piece of cypress 35 cm thick and decorated with carvings on both sides, but the decor was different. The heads of the copper nails on the floor were covered with gold.
The largest were the first and second halls - Ohiroma no ma and Ni no ma, which served for important official meetings. They amazed with the luxury of their decor; the walls and sliding doors were decorated with gold and painted with broad strokes by old Japanese masters. Beautiful wood carvings and metal chasing decorated the ceiling beams. The squares of the ceilings are decorated with colored patterns.
A notable feature of the Ninomaru Palace is the Uguisu-bari - the nightingale, or singing, floor, which started from the entrance and led to the first large hall. Thanks to ingenious devices, wooden planks, when someone walked on them, emitted a creaking sound similar to a bird chirping, hence the name.
These two halls entered Japanese history - here in November 1867, the last shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty named Yoshinobu (also known as Keiki) announced his abdication of supreme power in favor of the emperor. Thus, the powerful Nijo Castle witnessed the fall of the power of the Tokugawa house, which ruled in 264.
Behind these two halls was the Musha-kakushi no ma, the shogun's personal guard room, the sliding doors of which were decorated with beautiful red tassels. Security was always on hand in case any daimyo behaved unreasonably.
In the inner part of the palace there was Kuro-shoin, a hall where the shogun held private conversations with the fudai daimyo (those feudal lords who sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara). The decoration of this hall was as luxurious as the first and second large halls.
In the most remote part of the palace were located Shiro-shoin - the shogun's living quarters. Only female servants were allowed to enter here. All the decoration of these chambers created a favorable atmosphere for quiet relaxation; mountain and water landscapes were used for painting, which contributed to the creation of a calm state of mind. Adjoining these chambers was Ohiroma yon-no ma - the fourth large hall, where the shogun's personal weapons were kept - swords, spears, etc.
Three adjacent rooms, Rochu no ma, were office space for shogun officials, a kind of office. The walls of these rooms were covered with images of birds. There was also a special room, Chokushi no ma, where messengers from the emperor were received. The walls and doors were painted with maples; the artists of the Kano school conveyed all the beauty of the purple leaves of these trees in autumn. The decoration of the room was luxurious
The entire palace is decorated in classic Japanese style: the floor is covered with tatami, each room has only three walls, there is no fourth, which should separate the room from the corridor. More precisely, it is not a wall, but light sliding doors. The space between the ceiling and the upper door frame is decorated with rich carved ornaments with peacocks, various animals and plants. The annoying shine of gold is softened by time and the whitish twilight into which white Japanese paper turns daylight. This paper is stretched over wooden sliding frames that make up one long wall of the corridor and at the same time the outer wall of the palace. On hot days summer days you can slide these doors wide open, and then the enclosed space turns into a veranda, from which you can see one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan - Ninomaru Garden.
Ninomaru Garden is designed in the classical traditions of Japanese garden art. It is located around a large pond; stones of different shapes, sizes, and colors are scattered throughout the garden. The art of their arrangement was considered the main thing in the work of a garden artist; stones were selected according to shape, color, texture, as well as the correspondence of all these qualities to the general character of the garden, its style and purpose. In the center of the pond there are three islands: Horai-jima (Eternal Happiness Island), Tsuru-jima (Crane Island), Kame-jima (Turtle Island). These names were not chosen by chance: according to Chinese, Korean and Japanese mythology, the crane and turtle were symbols of longevity. The design of the garden is associated with the name of the great master of the Tea ceremony and landscape architecture, Kobori Enshu (1579-1647).
After the fall of the reign of the Tokugawa house, Nijo Castle was handed over to the imperial family and renamed Nijo Palace. In 1939, it was donated to the city of Kyoto and returned to its original name - Nijo Castle, and in 1940 it was opened to the general public.
There is another garden on the grounds of Nijo Castle, Seiryu-en, but it was created in 1965. Official receptions for city guests or cultural events, such as a tea ceremony for townspeople, are held there. There are two tea houses built in the garden; 1000 stones give it a unique look.
There is another garden on the grounds of Nijo Castle, Seiryu-en, but it was created in 1965. Official receptions for city guests or cultural events, such as a tea ceremony for townspeople, are held there. There are two tea houses built in the garden; 1000 stones give it a unique look.

NIJO CASTLE AND GARDENS. JAPAN

Nijo Castle is a fortified residence of the Tokugawa shoguns in Japan. The castle complex consists of many buildings and several gardens. The central building of the castle is the Ninomaru Palace. The residence area is about 275,000 m², of which 8,000 m². occupied by buildings.
Construction of the castle began on the orders of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601. Construction was completed in 1626, during the reign of shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Parts of Fushimi Castle were moved here in 1625-1626. Since Nijo was built mainly from wood, much of it was destroyed by fires in 1788 and 1791. After the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, Nijo Castle came into the possession of the imperial family and was renamed Nijo Palace. Since 1939, the Nijo complex has been taken over by the Kyoto City Administration and has been open to visitors year-round since 1940. Since 1994, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site - Historic Kyoto. It is also one of the National Treasures of Japan.

Nijo Castle is located in the Nakagyo district of Kyoto. former capital Japan. The castle is named after the road on which it is located. The castle complex has two concentric rings of fortifications, each of which consists of a wall and a wide moat with water. On the grounds of the castle there are several gardens, cherry groves and Japanese plum trees. The Ninomaru Garden includes a pond with three islands, a display of artfully selected and arranged rocks and topiary. Seiryu-en Garden was created in 1965 and is famous for hosting official receptions for city guests and tea ceremonies for citizens. It is also decorated with one thousand stones.

Nijo Castle is famous for being the seat of the Tokugawa family for two and a half centuries. In addition, it was here, in the Ninomaru Palace, that the last Japanese shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, transferred power to Emperor Meiji in 1867. In 1939, the palace was transferred to the city of Kyoto, and a year later it opened to the public. Since 1994, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a national treasure of Japan.

Construction of the castle began in 1601 by order of the ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was completed in 1926 by his grandson Tokugawa Iemitsu. All feudal lords were obliged to provide materials and workers for construction. As a result, the residence included several palaces and buildings with a total area of more than 8,000 square meters. meters, and together with the gardens the area of the complex is 275 thousand square meters. meters.

Nijo Castle is surrounded by two rings of fortifications, each of which consists of a stone wall and a moat with water. Inside are the palaces of Hommaru and Ninomaru. Hommaru's palace is located in the inner ring, and Ninomaru is located between these rings.

Ninomaru Palace consists of several buildings: the reception palace, where visitors awaited an audience with the shogun, guest houses, and houses for important persons. Separate buildings were erected for wives and concubines, as well as for the shogun himself. In each of these rooms, an elevation was created for the ruler, since no one could be higher than the head of the seated gentleman.

The main building of Ninomaru Palace is designed in traditional Japanese style - tatami mats are laid out on the floor, and the walls are painted with animals and plants using bright colors and gilding. A special feature of the palace is the creaking (“singing”) floors, which are a version of medieval alarm systems. With their sound, they announced the approach of anyone to the ruler’s chambers.

Plants for the gardens located in Nijo Castle are selected in such a way that they appear in bloom to guests at any time of the year. However, initially the garden grew mainly evergreen crops.

Nijo Castle is located in the Nakagyo district of Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, and is named after the road on which it is located.

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National Treasure of Japan, World Heritage UNESCO, one of the most beautiful castle complexes of the “land of the rising sun” - all this is about the amazingly powerful and at the same time elegant Nijō-jō castle, located in the very “heart” of the city of Kyoto. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists flock here to see with their own eyes the exquisite paintings of the interior chambers, walk along the “nightingale” floors of Nijo and get acquainted with the orientally rich history of this castle, full of intrigue, mysteries and legends.

Construction of the fortress began back in 1601 by order of Ieyasu Tokugawa, Prince Minamoto, a prominent diplomat and talented military leader, the founder of the entire Tokugawa shogun dynasty. But, alas, he was unable to finish and enjoy his brainchild; only 25 years later, the castle was completed by his grandson, Iemitsu Tokugawa. The castle had a ceremonial purpose - Nijo was and became the Kyoto residence of the shoguns (rulers of Japan), one of the finest examples of early Edo architecture. The construction of such a large-scale complex required an incredible amount of funds for those times. Without much joy, they were provided by the daimyo - the largest military feudal lords of medieval Japan, by the way, they could not refuse anyway.

The new citadel was not really needed by the Tokugawa clan; the construction of Nijo was rather a tactical move - to show its power and the real disposition of forces in the country.

And the castle got its name from the road on which it is located (this is in the Nakagyo district of Kyoto). The architecture of the complex is noteworthy - it has two rings of fortifications, each of which consists of an impressive wall and a wide ditch filled with water. Powerful gates led into each wall - three to the outer wall and another pair of gates for the inner one. The main buildings on the territory of the citadel were Honmaru Castle and Gardens (in the inner ring) and Ninomaru Castle, which was located between two rings of fortifications.

Ninomaru’s “trick” is all sorts of medieval tricks that unlucky gaijins (foreigners) like to attribute to ninjas: these are creaky “nightingale floors” that foretell the approach of the enemy, and security rooms, miraculously invisible behind paper walls, and secret doors.

Ninomaru Palace

Ninomaru Palace (Ninomaru Gōten) is the pearl of Nijo, it was here that the shogun lived and worked, received his vassals and messengers. The palace's 33 luxurious rooms include more than 800 tatami mats. All the halls were designed for specific needs, as clearly evidenced by the amazingly beautiful wall paintings. Herons, flowers and tigers and leopards, unprecedented for Japan, are for meetings and negotiations. Gray and black and white landscapes with sleeping sparrows - for living quarters. In total there are more than 3 thousand paintings, a third of which were made by students of the famous Kano school.

Another “trick” of Ninomaru is all sorts of medieval tricks that unlucky gaijins (that is, foreigners) like to attribute to ninjas: these are creaky “nightingale floors” that foretell the approach of an enemy, and security rooms, miraculously invisible behind paper walls, and secret doors, allowing you to immediately leave the building.

It was on the territory of Ninomaru Palace that Emperor Meiji took over power from the last shogun, Yoshinobu Tokugawa, in 1867.

It is also worth taking a stroll through the picturesque Ninomaru Garden, where there are big pond with three islands - a masterpiece of landscape design.

Honmaru Citadel

Just beyond Ninomaru is the powerful citadel of Honmaru (Honmaru Gōten), where there once stood a castle tower that burned down in the 18th century. There is also a palace here dating back to the Edo period, but it is not open to tourists. What you can see are charming gardens full of cherries and plums. Thousands flock to the blossoming of local fruit trees every spring. local residents and travelers, there is a stupefying aroma, and the beauty of the delicate cherry blossoms is difficult to convey in words.

Nijo Castle

Coordinates

Address: 541, Nijojo-cho, Nijo-dori Horikawa Nishi iru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. How to get there: From Kyoto Railway Station, take buses No. 9, 50 and 101 to the Nijojo-mae stop. You can also get there on your own vehicle, but parking is paid: for cars 800 JPY for the first two hours and then 200 JPY for each subsequent hour; for motorcycles - 400 JPY, for bicycles - 200 JPY.

Opening hours: Ninomaru Palace - from 9:00 to 16:00, the rest of the castle - from 8:45 to 18:00.

The cost of visiting is 600 JPY.

Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Today, Nijo Castle, which was the residence of the most powerful Tokugawa clan, is of great interest both for tourists and for the Japanese themselves. Impressive palace complex, which includes several palaces, is included in the UNESCO lists, as are most of the country’s attractions, for example, the Ryoanji rock garden.

The fiefdom of emperors and shoguns

Construction of the castle began in 1601 and lasted for 25 years. The main part of the buildings was made of wood, so the fires that occurred at the end of the 18th century practically destroyed it. Partially restored, it was donated to Kyoto by the emperor's family in 1939.

The entire complex is surrounded by two rows of fortifications made of walls lined with stone and a moat with water. The ensemble includes Ninomaru and Hommaru castles, security posts, utility buildings, as well as incredibly picturesque gardens with ponds, which are spread throughout the complex.

The most prominent structure of the Kyoto landmark is Ninomaru Palace, representing the architectural style of the Edo period. The area of the structure is almost 3.5 thousand square meters. m. Built in the style of Japanese classics, it is decorated with magnificent wood carvings and gold plates, and its floors are traditionally lined with tatami. In each room, the walls and doors are decorated with wall paintings.

Ever-blooming garden

In turn, Ninomaru appears as a group of buildings: a guest house for family and friends, a receiving palace, the residence of the shogun, palaces for concubines and wives, as well as for very important persons. Each of them reflects the social hierarchical ladder: if the guest is of high status, then he was placed in guest house located further from the entrance, and vice versa.

The main highlight of the gardens of the Japanese landmark is the originally selected evergreen trees that hide the change of seasons. But later, flowers and plants that bloom in a certain season of the year were added. Here you can see the lush beauty of flowering plants all year round.

In addition to everything, in the garden there is a pond, which includes three islands, as well as an entire exhibition of perfectly selected and arranged stones and topiary. The beautiful Seiryu-en Garden, created in the 60s, is famous for hosting official receptions for guests, as well as tea ceremonies. Its decor consists of one thousand stones.

In 1603, near Imperial Palace In Kyoto, construction began on Nijo Castle, the residence of the shoguns of the Tokugawa dynasty. This family consolidated its power and might in the country for many centuries, holding practical leadership in its hands, while the emperor, personified as the Supreme Shinto deity and at the same time the priest of this religion, a descendant of the solar goddess Amaterasu, was in his “heavenly Violet Palace” and watched for the strict execution of centuries-old rituals and ceremonies. And, despite the fact that all laws and decrees were read out in the name of the emperor, the shogunate, by and large, controlled the real power. The third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, Iemitsu, completed the grand construction of Nijo Castle in 1626.

Like Himeji, Nijo, originally intended as a palace, had a number of strong fortifications and ingenious protective structures. We were first greeted by a wide moat of water in front of massive stone walls, like cobwebs entangled in thin threads of ivy. The same slopes of the “folding fan”, concave inward so that it is impossible to climb them during a siege. Just by the walls alone one could judge the greatness and inviolability of the Tokugawa power.

Ivy leaves...
For some reason their smoky purple
He talks about the past.
(Basho)

A massive moat with water is thrown across wooden bridge, leading to one of the many sectors into which the territory of Nijo Castle is divided, bounded by gates and guardhouses. The main gate of the castle dazzles with its elaborate wood carvings and gold embossing. They alone are a true work of art, immediately capturing the imagination of anyone who enters.

Ninomaru Palace is the main building of Nijo Castle

In keeping with Chinese "innovations", the gates of Nijo Castle are richly decorated with carved paintings of life and legends. As high connoisseurs of universal beauty, the Japanese are very fond of natural motifs, especially those endowed with deep symbolism. Therefore, the decor of the gate contains many images of insects, birds (nightingales, peacocks, phoenixes, cranes), flowers (especially peonies), pine and bamboo branches, tigers, dragons, mythical animals, even Chinese sages sailing on turtles. These photographs can be seen at the end of the article, as they deserve special attention. Through the gate opening one can see the curved roof of the Ninomaru Palace, which is crowned with a golden 16-petal chrysanthemum - the symbol of the emperor.

A symbolic image of the emperor's coat of arms - a chrysanthemum in the roof decor

The territory of Nijo Castle is impressive with its size and thoughtfulness of the buildings erected on it. Everything had its significance; the reception of visitors to Nijo was strictly regulated and controlled by guards, of whom in those days fifty people were alternately on duty every day. It was impossible to get into the shogun's chambers unnoticed; too vigilant precautions were taken in the castle. After identifying himself in the guardhouse and rooms with the poetic names of Willow and Pine, the guest was invited to the vassal quarters, where he awaited an audience.

Even if we imagine several elements of the design of Nijo Castle, the severity of the samurai genius is balanced, as if on invisible scales, by the subtlety of natural and decorative inclusions: bronze bowls hanging from the roof in garlands, singing when it rains, when water overflows over the edges and flows into a gutter along the wall; massive bells with a strong, deep sound that caused vibration throughout the entire area where they were heard (today they are installed in front of the castle); thin threads of sakura, with a translucent veil obscuring the view of the curved wooden bridge, powerful stone steps leading to the main hall... And along this path the guest was escorted to the castle, to the reception chambers, where the employees of the Tokugawa shogun first accepted the valuable gifts prepared for him.

As expected, we took off our shoes at the door and entered the Ninomaru Shogun Palace. Its exclusive feature is the “nightingale floor” (Uguisu-bari). I have already said that thanks to ingenious precautions, there was no way to get close to the shogun’s person. The floor was also thought out for this purpose: when you step on the wooden flooring, the floorboards begin to emit peculiar trills, similar to the chirping of birds (and there were some natural motifs here!). Plus, the walls of the castle were painted by Japanese artists in accordance with traditional canons, so there is a complete feeling that you are walking along a shady alley among evergreen pines and willows to the melodious chirping of nightingales.

On one side of the long corridor running along the perimeter of Nijo there are sliding walls with paper windows, on the other there are large and small halls with semantic medieval paintings and elegant ornaments. The beams are made of solid pieces of cypress, the nail heads in the floor are covered with gilding, the walls and doors are decorated with chasing and carvings. Nowadays these are mostly empty spaces, just floors and walls, but in some rooms wax figures are displayed to revive the spirit of that era. For example, one of the halls was intended for daimyo (feudal lords) disgraced during the time of Ieyasu Tokugawa, who opposed the shogun in the legendary Battle of Sekigahara. Another hall is for Tokugawa supporters in the same battle. In the third - in 1867, the last shogun Yoshinobu from the Tokugawa dynasty renounced his power in the name of the imperial one. So Nijo Castle is a silent witness not only to the 264-year power of the Tokugawa clan, but also to the final fall of its rule. The interior of Nijo Castle can be clearly seen in the movie Shogun.

In addition to the halls for messengers, official meetings, and weapons storage, Nizdø Castle also housed the personal chambers of the Supreme Ruler, painted with paintings of mountain and water landscapes, animals and plants, and decorative ornaments that created a favorable atmosphere for relaxation. The floor is covered with tatami, the light streams dimly through matte oiled paper stretched over the sliding frames of the corridor. These walls can easily be moved apart, and then the enclosed space turns into a veranda from which you can admire the real beauty of nature in the garden surrounding the castle.

There are two gardens in Nijo Castle: Ninomaru (architect Kobori Enshu, 1579-1647) and Seiryu-en (created in 1965). They are maintained in the best traditions of Japanese park architecture: selection of stones (texture, shape, color), islands of Eternal Happiness, Crane and Turtle (thanks to Chinese influence), stone flat and humpbacked bridges, flowing water of waterfalls, tsukubai - wells with water for ablution, red carps, selection of tree species to the gardens were beautiful and perfect at any time of the year, the garden's winding paths.

Water well - tsukubai

According to benevolent mythology and symbolism, the basic principle of gardens has always been the creation of an absolute cosmos in miniature. Each element carried a certain meaning and at the same time served for the ruler as a symbol of longevity, prosperity, happiness, and eternity. This is an ideal model of the world. Based on the Samurai Code of Honor, everything that surrounds us should be treated with sensitivity and understanding, reverence and gratitude. Fleeting beauty, which disappears after seconds, was valued above all else because, when noticed, it could lead to inner insights and discoveries. A wonderful moment could be born where you didn’t expect it at all.

Bridges spanning moats lead to the second part of the gardens, where the same symbolic elements are evident. From the open veranda you can admire the landscape at any time of the year. In the spring, white and pink cherry blossoms bloom magnificently here, whose petals fall to the ground without waiting for them to wither; in the fall, the maples turn thick red, and the evergreen pines seem to be frozen in meditation. In Japan, it is believed that man, as a part of nature, is similar to its inner essence. Beauty, rationality, harmony, spirituality live in the soul of everyone, therefore, trying to comprehend the essence of nature, a person comprehends himself, awakens a sense of the sacred in his heart.

When the last shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, Yoshinobu (Keiki), abdicated supreme power, Nijo Castle was handed over to the emperor and his family and renamed Nijo Palace. The castle was given its original name back in 1939 when it was donated to the city of Kyoto, and opened to visitors in 1940. Nijo Castle and Ninomaru Palace in particular are cultural and historical assets of Japan. Nijo Castle has been declared a national treasure by the country's government, one of the pearls of Kyoto, the ancient medieval capital of Heian.