Nijō Castle

Former Imperial Villa Nijō Castle
元離宮二条城
Kyoto, Japan
The karamon main gate to Ninomaru Palace
Site information
TypePlains castle (平城)
OwnerKyoto
Open to
the public
yes
Site history
Built1624 (1624)
Built byTokugawa shogunate
In use1626–1939

Nijō Castle (二条城, Nijō-jō) is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square metres (27.5 ha; 68 acres), of which 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) is occupied by buildings.

It is one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.