Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

The next day we have actually planned out a tour of Kyoto with stops at Nijo Castle, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and the Golden Pavilion. Unfortunately because of restorative plans we were unable to photograph Nijo Castle. Apparently it was the second home of the powerful Tokugawa shogun who built the castle in 1603 to be closer to the emperor of the time. Interestingly, we learned from our guide that it was typical for the real ruling power to emanate from the shogun. Because he actually controlled the military might he also had the financial abilities to maintain the country. During the time of Kyoto's term as the capital, the Tokugawa shogun actually PAID the emperor a stipend. The castle itself was until recent years of restoration used for administrative purposes of Kyoto and was quickly deteriorating. The gold leaf murals were systematically being restored to its former glory and the castle secured for touring purposes only. Its most notable feature were its "nightingale" floors which were purposely designed to creak when a person stepped on it. This was used as an early alarm system to allow shogun aware of any person walking in any area of the castle.