Former Imperial Villa Nijō Castle

Built in 1603, this castle belongs to one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This is the place where the last shogun restored the emperor back to power in 1867.

Nijo Castle area consists of (among others) three astounding gardens, which have been ranked among one of the most beautiful in Japan. They are really impressive during the cherry blossom season, so get a camera and take pictures of your surroundings; you will get to boast about the beauty later.

The castle is full of displays of Japanese art style, mainly painted on screens in the main chamber. One of the castle's defences is the floor, which was specifically constructed to squeak, so the guards can hear enemies who broke inside.

The grounds are quite big, so if you plan to see everything thoroughly, bring comfortable walking shoes. Note - you need to remove them before going inside. You can get here by a few trains, Nijo station - Hashidate, San-In Line, and Tozai Line.