Nijo-jo and Nijo-jinya In 1603 the first Tokugawa shogun Ieyasu ordered the construction of an official shogunal residence in Kyoto. The Nijo castle was completed by the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu, and remained the official Kyoto residence for the Tokugawa shoguns until the Meiji Restoration. In 1867 Nijo castle was presented to the imperial family and its name was changed to Ninomaru palace. In 1939 the Imperial family donated Ninomaru palace to the city of Kyoto and it was opened to the public. At that time Ninomaru was given the name Nijo-jo (Nijo castle). Nijo castle is surrounded by an outer moat and a high wall with guard stations at strategic locations (see the photo below. Inside there is an inner moat that surrounds the shogun's quarters. In the area between the two moats are gardens, storage houses, and guard houses. Photographs within the official shogun's quarters are not allowed, and therefore none appear here. The quarters are extremely well preserved with magnificent works of art. The wooden floor inside the structures is called "Nightingale Floor (uguisu bari)" because it produces a high pitch squeak when stepped on. It is said that the floor was designed to squeak so that an assailant would be detected immediately at night. The gate to the official shogun residence. The entrance to the residence could be seen in the background. Nijo-jinya is a relatively small residence of a daimyo, about three minutes walking distance from Nijo castle. It is an important cultural asset (juyo bunka zai) and is occupied by the Ogawa family. The house is special for two reasons. First, it is an authentic early Edo period house that was well preserved over the years. The second reason, and perhaps would be of interest to those visiting this site, is that the house is designed with secret pathways, hidden doors, and hidden storage places, among other things--and its the real thing! It should be of great interest to anybody who is trying to discover the world of the "other" warriors. Copyrights (c). 1999-2005. Any use or reproduction of the material in this site requires a written authorization by Roy Ron. All rights reserved.