Castles
Castles in Kyoto
Kyoto was the emperor's city, not a warlord's, so it has one great castle, Nijo, and a handful of hilltop ruins from the wars of the 1500s.
6 places · 1 nationally protected
Nijo Castle is the one to see. The Tokugawa shoguns built it in the early 1600s as their base in the imperial capital, and its Ninomaru Palace still has its painted sliding doors and the corridors whose floorboards chirp underfoot. Its main keep burned in the 18th century and was never rebuilt, so the view from the top is from the old keep's stone base.
The other castles here are ruins: earthworks, stone walls and a sign on a hillside. They suit hikers and history fans. For a castle with its original keep, Hikone in neighboring Shiga is about 50 minutes away by train, and Himeji is about an hour by shinkansen.
Good to know
- Photos are not allowed inside the Ninomaru Palace, and you take your shoes off there.
- Nijo Castle has its own subway station, Nijojo-mae, on the Tozai line.
- The hilltop ruins have no facilities at the top: bring water and proper shoes.
All Castles in Kyoto
Every place shows its Japanese name, so you can search it on a map or show it to a taxi driver.
| Place | Town | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Nijo Castle 元離宮二条城Nationally protected The Tokugawa shoguns' Kyoto palace, a UNESCO site. Walk the Ninomaru Palace on its chirping 'nightingale' floors, then the gardens and the old keep's stone base. | Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto | |
| Yamazaki Castle 山崎城 On Mount Tenno in Oyamazaki, above the site of the 1582 Battle of Yamazaki. A forest trail climbs to the ruins and views over three rivers. | ||
| Amidagamine Castle 阿弥陀ヶ峰城 A castle in Kyoto, Japan. | ||
| Miyazu Castle 宮津城 A castle in Kyoto, Japan. | Miyazu | |
| Higashiyama Ryozen Castle 東山霊山城 A castle in Kyoto, Japan. | Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto | |
| Nijo Gosho Site 二条御所 A historic site in Kyoto, Japan. | Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto |
Castles in Kyoto on the map
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Questions
Does Nijo Castle have a keep?
Not anymore. Its keep burned in the 18th century and was never rebuilt. You can climb the stone base where it stood for a view over the grounds.
What are the nightingale floors?
The corridors of the Ninomaru Palace squeak like birdsong when you walk on them, caused by the clamps under the boards. They are often said to be an alarm against intruders.
Where is the nearest original castle to Kyoto?
Hikone Castle in Shiga, about 50 minutes by train, has its original keep. Himeji Castle in Hyogo is about an hour by shinkansen.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.