Nijo Castle

Nijo castle, a UNESCO world heritage site and a national treasure of Japan, is a beautiful single storey castle that was constructed in the year 1603. It’s a popular tourist attraction today attracting hordes of visitors and locals unto its palatial premises.
The main structure here is the Ninomaru palace building which takes pride in its eye catching architecture and ostentatious wooden details. Inside the building are chapters of history writ aesthetically in the various chambers, walls and sliding doors interlinked with each other. Taking the tour inside is a historic as well as an arty delight as you get to delve deep and learn about life and living of the shoguns and emperors in the 16th century through the beautifully carved Japanese paintings and life-sized statues displayed in the different rooms. The most notable feature to look out for here is the ‘nightingale floors’ which is a special kind of alarm-flooring, once designed so as to alert the bodyguards of any unwanted intrusion in the premises. Today, all those who sneak in are curious visitors for whom it’s an amusing activity - you walk on the floors and they squeak! The grounds also house a beautifully designed landscaped Japanese garden called Ninomaru Garden which provides a marvelous setting to relax and culminate the tour.