Nijo Castle
Nijo, Kyoto
- Daily
- 8:45 to 17:00
Last entry 16:00, Ninomaru Palace until 16:10. Closed 29 to 31 December. The Ninomaru Palace also closes on Tuesdays in January, July, August and December.
Source: nijo-jocastle.city.kyoto.lg.jp, checked 11 Oct 2026.
Tokugawa Ieyasu built Nijo Castle in 1603 to guard the Imperial Palace and to lodge the shogun on his visits to Kyoto. Its Ninomaru Palace, six buildings lined with Kano school paintings, is the only palace complex still standing inside a Japanese castle. In 1867 the 15th shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, announced the return of power to the emperor in its great hall.
More photos of Nijo Castle
Insider tip
Entry is ¥800, or ¥1,300 with the Ninomaru Palace. The Honmaru Palace is ¥1,000 more on a timed web ticket that goes on sale 30 days ahead, and it's a 15 to 20 minute walk from the east gate, so be inside at least 20 minutes before your slot. Show a subway or subway and bus one-day pass at the ticket office on the day you use it and entry drops to ¥700. You can't take photos inside either palace.
What the guides say about Nijo Castle
5. Nijo Castle. Tokugawa Ieyasu built it in 1603, and its Ninomaru Palace is the only palace complex still standing inside a Japanese castle. Entry's ¥800, or ¥1,300 with the palace, from 8:45 (last entry 16:00). The palace closes on Tuesdays in January, July, August and December. Show a subway one-day pass at the ticket office and entry drops to ¥700.
Stay near Nijojo-mae and you can be at Nijo Castle when it opens at 8:45. The Tozai Line gets you to Karasuma Oike in about 2 minutes, and JR's Nijo Station is about 5 minutes from Kyoto Station on the Sagano Line, which runs on to Saga-Arashiyama. HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO is 3 minutes from exit 2 of Nijojo-mae.
5. Do the maths on the day pass. The Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass is ¥1,100 and covers the subway, every city bus and most Kyoto Bus, Keihan Bus and JR Bus routes, though not out to Kibune or the top of Mt Hiei. At ¥230 a ride, your fifth bus makes it pay, and it cuts Nijo Castle's entry from ¥800 to ¥700. If you're a short-stay foreign visitor, you can also buy Keihan's KYOTO SIGHTSEEING PASS (¥1,100 a day) for its line through Gion-Shijo and Fushimi-Inari to Uji.
Tickets and tours
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What's on at Nijo Castle
Upcoming events at Nijo Castle, from the weekly Kyoto events calendar.
Nijo Castle Wall Painting Original Display: Paintings that Adorned the Throne
二条城障壁画 展示収蔵館 秋期原画公開
Time 9:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00) Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
Original Ninomaru Palace wall paintings from the Ohiroma first and second rooms are shown, focusing on the rooms used for the 1626 imperial visit. Castle admission is charged separately.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Nijo Castle Autumn Light-up (NAKED meets Nijo-jo 2026)
二条城まつり2026 NAKED meets 二条城 2026
Time 18:00 to 22:00 (last entry 21:00) Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
For the 400th anniversary of the Kan'ei imperial visit, the castle's night light-up is an art show by NAKED built around Tokugawa Masako and Kan'ei-era design, with maples, ginkgo and cherry trees lit along the way. Tickets are ¥2,000 Monday to Thursday and ¥2,400 Friday to Sunday and on holidays (¥400 less if bought by 22 Oct), and children up to junior high school get in free.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Nijo-jo Matsuri 2026 Daytime Events
二条城まつり2026
Time 8:45 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00, noon on 6 Dec) Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
For the 400th year of the Kan'ei imperial visit the castle adds a maple stamp rally, a Kyoto products fair and cultural experiences to its daytime visit. Entry is ¥1,300 and includes the Ninomaru Palace.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Autumn Leaves Stamp Rally at Nijo Castle
二条城まつり2026 紅葉スタンプラリー
Time 8:45-16:45 Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line)
A stamp rally at four spots inside the castle during Nijo-jo Matsuri 2026.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Kamo Seven Stones and Castle Stones Guided Tour (October)
加茂七石と城の石 探求展・ガイドツアー
Time Tours 10:00 and 13:15, display 8:45 to 16:45 Station Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line), 1 min walk
Guided tours of Kan'ei-era stone walls and the famous Kamo Seven Stones start at the East Gate at 10:00 and 13:15, with a stone display in the Seiryu-en garden. Tours gather at the East Gate.
Pom', CC BY-SA 2.0 Smaller local events nearby
Shieikai Ikebana Exhibition Garden
24 to 25 Oct · Gallery35 KYOTO-KAMANZA, Kamanza
An ikebana exhibition by the Shieikai group, shown at Gallery35 KYOTO-KAMANZA on Nijo-dori.
Free · Map · Source: Ikenobo · 三浦映子社中展 ─心の花─
Early Spring Special Viewing of the Shiroshoin at Nijo Castle Exhibition
24 Dec to 26 Jan (dates to be confirmed) · Nijo Castle
Visitors entered the Yo-no-ma of the Shiroshoin in the Ninomaru Palace, shown to the public for the first time in 2025-26, with an original wall painting exhibition.
Map · Source: Nijo Castle (Kyoto City) · 世界遺産 二条城の早春
Nearby
Around Nijo
The shogun's castle, with the Shinsengumi's Mibu a walk south
Most people come for Nijo Castle, and it's worth its two hours. Tokugawa Ieyasu built it in 1603, and its Ninomaru Palace is the only palace complex still standing inside a Japanese castle. Then walk south, past a pond garden first laid out in 794 and an 800 m covered shopping street, to the temple in Mibu where the Shinsengumi trained.
Nijo has 17 places on the Roam Kyoto map: 5 shrines and temples, 3 landmarks, 3 shops, 2 restaurants, 1 bar, 1 cafe, 1 museum and 1 bathhouse. Read the Nijo guide.
Good to know
- What is the address of Nijo Castle?
- 541 Nijojo-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto (in Japanese: 京都市中京区二条通堀川西入二条城町541).
- What are the opening hours of Nijo Castle?
- Daily 8:45 to 17:00. Last entry 16:00, Ninomaru Palace until 16:10. Closed 29 to 31 December. The Ninomaru Palace also closes on Tuesdays in January, July, August and December.
- How do I get to Nijo Castle?
- The nearest station is Nijojo-mae (Tozai Line). Nijo Castle is in Nijo, Kyoto.
- How much does Nijo Castle cost?
- Nijo Castle is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Nijo Castle?
- Plan for 2 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Nijo Castle?
- Late March and April.
Stay near Nijo Castle
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