Nijo Castle
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: September 28, 2026
Nijo Castle is the Tokugawa shoguns' palace in central Kyoto, beside Nijo-jo-mae subway station. The ticket that matters is the ¥1,300 castle-plus-Ninomaru Palace combination: the palace, a National Treasure, is the reason to come. Entry is 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the Ninomaru Palace closes on Tuesdays in January, July, August and December, and the Honmaru Palace needs a web ticket booked ahead.
- Area
- Central Kyoto
- Best For
- History, Architecture, UNESCO Heritage, Gardens
Visiting Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle was the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns. In 1867 the end of the shogunate's rule and the return of power to the emperor were proclaimed here, and after the Meiji Restoration it became an imperial villa, which is why its official name is the Former Imperial Villa Nijo-jo Castle.
The Ninomaru Palace is the heart of a visit. It is six connected buildings in the shoin style perfected at the start of the Edo period, designated a National Treasure as the only surviving fortified palace complex, and decorated with Kano school wall paintings, from the gold-ground tigers of the first waiting rooms to the quiet ink paintings of the shogun's private quarters. The corridors are known as nightingale floors for the sound they make underfoot.
The Honmaru Palace, a separate Important Cultural Property, can be seen only with a timed web ticket. The route below takes you through both, and the tickets section explains which to buy.
Which ticket to buy
Short answer
Buy the ¥1,300 castle and Ninomaru Palace ticket. Add the Honmaru Palace (¥1,000) only if you book a timed web ticket in advance; it is not sold at the gate ticket office.
- Castle grounds, ¥800
- Gates, walls, moats and gardens only. You can upgrade to the Ninomaru Palace for ¥500 at the information desk inside.
- Grounds + Ninomaru Palace, ¥1,300
- The right ticket for most visitors: the National Treasure palace with its painted rooms and nightingale floors.
- Honmaru Palace, ¥1,000 extra
- Timed web ticket, on sale 30 days ahead; a few same-day tickets at the General Information Desk. Allow 15 to 20 minutes to walk there from the east gate.
The route through Nijo Castle
Short answer
Enter at the Higashi Ote-mon east gate, pass through the Karamon gate to the Ninomaru Palace, walk its corridors, then the Ninomaru Garden, and continue to the Honmaru area if you have booked. The Ninomaru Palace visit takes about 30 minutes.
Entrance
Higashi Ote-mon
The east gate, beside Nijo-jo-mae Station, with the ticket office and coin lockers next to it.
Next
The Karamon gate
The gilded, carved gate in front of the Ninomaru Palace.
About 30 minutes
Ninomaru Palace
Six connected buildings, from the Tiger Rooms to the shogun's private quarters, along the nightingale-floor corridors. Shoes off; no photos inside. Reception closes at 4:10 p.m.
After the palace
Ninomaru Garden and the Honmaru area
The garden beside the palace, then the inner moat and the Honmaru Palace for those with a timed ticket.
When to go
Short answer
Come at the 8:45 a.m. opening and check the palace closing days first: a Tuesday in January, July, August or December means no Ninomaru Palace.
- Whole castle
- Closed: December 29 to 31
- Ninomaru Palace
- Closed: Tuesdays in January, July, August and December (next day if a holiday); December 26 to 28; January 1 to 3
- Honmaru Palace
- Closed: Third Monday of each month and the following day (open if a holiday); December 26 to 28; January 1 to 3
| Part | Closed |
|---|---|
| Whole castle | December 29 to 31 |
| Ninomaru Palace | Tuesdays in January, July, August and December (next day if a holiday); December 26 to 28; January 1 to 3 |
| Honmaru Palace | Third Monday of each month and the following day (open if a holiday); December 26 to 28; January 1 to 3 |
Fitting Nijo Castle into a Kyoto day
Short answer
Nijo Castle is central and on the subway, so it pairs with almost anything; the natural links are the Imperial Palace, Nishiki Market, and Arashiyama on the JR Sagano Line.
Central Kyoto
Kyoto Imperial Palace
The Kyoto Imperial Palace, the other seat of power, is northeast of the castle.
What to look for at Nijo Castle
The Tiger Rooms
The first and largest section of the Ninomaru Palace, the Tozamurai, served as waiting rooms for feudal lords. Its walls of tigers painted on gold were meant to express the shogun's authority, and gave the rooms their other name, the Tora-no-ma.
The Ohiroma and the shogun's rooms
In the Ohiroma, the Grand Hall, the shogun received feudal lords from the raised First Room, facing south. Deeper in, the Shiro-shoin, believed to be his private quarters, changes to calm ink-wash paintings.
The Honmaru Palace
A former imperial residence and an Important Cultural Property. Its corridors are narrow, groups of about 15 enter at a time after an 8-minute video, and visitors walk the route at their own pace. Some rooms and painted cedar doors are shown only in rotation to protect them.
How to Get to Nijo Castle
Nijo Castle is in central Kyoto, with its own subway station at the east gate, where you enter.
From Kyoto Station
Karasuma subway line to Karasuma Oike, then the Tozai Line one stop west to Nijo-jo-mae. The JR Sagano Line to Nijo Station and city buses are alternatives.
A Kyoto subway one-day pass, or the subway and bus one-day pass, takes ¥100 off an adult castle ticket on the day you use it.
From Arashiyama
Nijo Station is on the JR Sagano Line between Arashiyama (Saga-Arashiyama) and Kyoto Station, which makes the castle an easy stop on the way back from the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
By car
The castle asks visitors to use public transport. Its car park east of the castle opens 8:15 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and charges ¥600 per 40 minutes, up to ¥1,800 a day, with higher rates in peak season.
- •Subway Tozai Line to Nijo-jo-mae, beside the east gate where you enter.
- •A Kyoto subway or subway-and-bus one-day pass saves ¥100 on an adult castle ticket.
- •Nijo Station on the JR Sagano Line links the castle with Arashiyama.
Best Time to Visit Nijo Castle
At the 8:45 AM opening; avoid Tuesdays in January, July, August and December, when the Ninomaru Palace is closed.
- •At the 8:45 a.m. opening, before the palace corridors fill.
- •Avoid Tuesdays in January, July, August and December, when the Ninomaru Palace is closed.
- •Book the Honmaru Palace online; tickets go on sale 30 days ahead and are limited.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥800 | ~$5 |
| Junior high and high school student | ¥400 | ~$3 |
| Elementary school student | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥1,300 | ~$9 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥1,000 | ~$7 |
| Junior high and high school student | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| Elementary school student | ¥200 | ~$1 |
- •Children under elementary school age are free. Groups of 30 or more pay ¥700 (grounds) or ¥1,100 (with the Ninomaru Palace). A grounds ticket can be upgraded to the Ninomaru Palace for ¥500 at the information desk.
- •A Kyoto subway one-day pass or subway-and-bus one-day pass takes ¥100 off an adult grounds ticket on the day of use.
- •The grounds are gravel. Electric wheelchairs are lent free at the General Information Desk and indoor wheelchairs at the palaces, without reservations.
Nearby Attractions
Kyoto guides that pair with Nijo Castle
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Nishiki Market
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Two ways to build a day around Nijo Castle
Both start at the 8:45 a.m. opening.
Central Kyoto
Castle, market and palace park.
8:45 a.m.
Nijo Castle and the Ninomaru Palace.
Lunch
Afternoon
Castle and Arashiyama
West along the JR Sagano Line.
8:45 a.m.
Nijo Castle.
Late morning
JR Sagano Line from Nijo to Saga-Arashiyama.
Afternoon
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Tenryu-ji.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
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