Nijō Castle Audio Guide
Explore Nijō Castle with Stanza's GPS-triggered offline audio guide.
About the Tour
Nijō Castle is a historic flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. It was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence for the first Tokugawa shogun and served as an important administrative and ceremonial center.
What you will hear
Ninomaru Palace Entrance and Retainers' Hall
Visitors enter the palace through the Kurumayose (carriage porch) and find themselves in the Tōzamurai, where feudal lords waited to see the Shogun. The walls are famous for their intimidating tiger paintings.
Wall Painting of Tigers
In the waiting room for low-ranking lords, these fierce-looking tigers served as a form of psychological warfare, designed to unsettle visitors before their audience with the Shogun.
The Ohiroma Great Hall
The most historically significant room in the palace. This massive hall was used for official audiences between the Shogun and the daimyo (feudal lords).
The Veranda Path
The palace's wide wooden verandas were designed to blur the line between indoors and out, allowing the Shogun to enjoy gardens that felt like an extension of the palace itself.
The Return of Political Power
In 1867, the 15th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, gathered his officials in the Great Hall to announce his resignation, returning power to the Emperor and ending 260 years of Shogunate rule.
Taisei Hokan
The Ohiroma Great Hall was the site of the 'Taisei Hokan' in 1867, the monumental moment when the Shogunate returned power to the Emperor, ending centuries of samurai rule.
The Shogun's Private Chambers
The Kuro-shoin and Shiro-shoin were the Shogun's more intimate meeting rooms and private living quarters. The Shiro-shoin features softer, more natural paintings compared to the public halls.
The Shiro-shoin Wing
In the Shiro-shoin wing, the atmosphere shifts from intimidating gold to tranquil ink-wash landscapes, marking the transition into the Shogun’s private and personal living quarters.
The Inner Ward and Yagura-mon
Crossing the inner moat via a wooden bridge leads to the Honmaru, or inner sanctum. The Yagura-mon gate features heavy, studded doors to protect the Shogun's ultimate refuge.
Gate to the Inner Ward
As you cross the bridge over the inner moat, you approach the Yagura-mon, the heavily fortified gate guarding the castle's most secure inner sanctuary.
Want to hear the rest?
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