Nijo castle, famous for having been the residence of the family of Tokugawa during the two and a half centuries. In addition, it is here, in the Palace Ninomaru last Japanese shogun Tokugawa Yosinobu handed over power to the Emperor Meiji in 1867. In 1939, the Palace was transferred to the city of Kyoto, and a year later it opened to all visitors. Since 1994 is a world heritage site by UNESCO and a national treasure of Japan.

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

Nijo castle is surrounded by two rings of FORTS, each of which consists of stone walls and a moat. Inside there are palaces Homaru and Ninomaru. The Palace Homaru is located in the inner ring, and Ninomaru – between these rings.

The Palace Ninomaru consists of several buildings: the Palace of receptions where visitors expecting an audience of the shogun, guest houses, houses for VIPs. Separate buildings were erected for the wives and concubines, and also for the shogun. In each of these areas was established elevation for the ruler, as no one could be above the head of a seated gentleman.

The main building of the Palace Ninomaru designed in traditional Japanese style with tatami mats cover the floors and the walls are painted with animals and plants with bright colors and gilding. The peculiarity of the Palace – creaking ("singing") floors are a medieval variant of the alarm. With their sound they were approaching a chamber of the ruler of anyone.

Plants for gardens that are in the Nijo castle, are selected in such a way that at any time of the year they were brought to the guests in the flowered form. Originally, however, the garden grew mostly evergreen culture.

Nijo castle is located in the nakagyo ward of Kyoto, the former capital of Japan, and is named after the road on which it is located.