Nijō Castle

Nijō Castle is a Japanese cultural and architectural landmark located in the city of Kyoto. The castle was built in the early seventeenth century as a part-time residence and audience hall for the shogun, or military leader, of a newly unified Japan. The structure was designed for luxury rather than defense, and it stood as an extravagant reminder of the shogun's power. In the late nineteenth century, it temporarily served as the official seat of Japan's imperial government. Nijō Castle was later turned over to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public as a historical site. In 1994, the United Nations named the castle a World Heritage Site.

Background

Evidence of the earliest cultures to inhabit the Japanese islands dates back to about 13,000 BCE. Between 300 BCE and 200 CE, the Japanese began to cultivate rice and shifted from a hunting-and-fishing existence to a more settled, agricultural-based society. As a stratified social structure formed, the country began to fall under the control of powerful landowners. Japanese myth holds that the nation's first emperor was a descendant of the sun goddess and reigned in the seventh century BCE. However, the first historically confirmed emperor did not rule until more than a millennium later.

During the twelfth century, a powerful class of warriors known as samurai arose in Japan. The samurai were often hired by wealthy landowning families to act as private armies, battling both the imperial government and other landowners for dominance. In 1192, powerful clan leader Minamoto Yoritomo gained control of the country and was named shogun, or supreme military commander, by the emperor. For most of the next seven centuries, the emperor served as a figurehead, while the shogun held the true power in Japan.

Power struggles and civil wars among families and rival shoguns continued in Japan until the late sixteenth century. In the 1560s, a prominent clan leader named Oda Nobunaga tried to unite Japan by subduing his enemies. After Nobunaga was murdered in 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a general under his command, saw an opportunity to seize power and continued to eliminate the opposition. With the defeat of his last rival in 1590, Japan was unified under Hideyoshi's control. However, his forces were driven back when he attempted to conquer China as well. He died in 1598.

Overview

In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu, a military ally of Hideyoshi, filled the leadership void and seized control of the now-unified Japan. Ieyasu was named shogun by the emperor in 1603 and moved the center of government from Kyoto to Edo, the former name of modern-day Tokyo. That same year, Ieyasu ordered construction to begin on a palatial castle to be used as his official residence when he was in Kyoto. Ieyasu traveled to Nijō Castle just three times as shogun before his death in 1616. The castle was not completed until 1626 during the rule of his grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Although Nijō Castle was designed with defensive fortifications, its style reflected Ieyasu's desire for luxury and the need to remind others of his authority. The castle grounds were about 1,312 feet (400 meters) by 1,640 feet (500 meters.) The structure was divided into three sections: the Honmaru, or "main circle of defense"; the Ninomaru, or "second circle of defense"; and surrounding gardens, walls, and moats.

The original design of the castle gardens did not include trees, as their falling leaves were seen as a symbol of change. In later years, cherry, plum, and pine trees were added to the garden layout. The main garden outside the Ninomaru Palace was designed by seventeenth-century artist Kobori Enshu and features a large pond, manicured trees, and ornamental stones.

The Ninomaru Palace is the primary attraction for modern visitors to Nijō Castle. The palace was the official residence and audience hall of the shogun when he was in attendance. The structure was primarily built of cypress wood and divided into five buildings connected by a corridor. The great hall where the shogun welcomed invited dignitaries was surrounded with numerous waiting rooms. These waiting rooms were decorated with symbolic artwork representing the glory and deeds of the shogun—a constant reminder of his power to those seeking an audience. Because treachery was more of a concern than open attack, the palace also contained hidden alcoves to hide the shogun's bodyguards and "nightingale" floors that creaked whenever someone approached.

The Honmaru was the site of a second palace complex and a five-story stronghold. In 1750, the stronghold was struck by lightning and destroyed. Less than forty years later, the inner palace was also destroyed in a fire. Neither was rebuilt.

Despite its grand intentions, the castle was seldom used during the rule of Ieyasu and his successors. After Ieyasu's death, his grandson was only in attendance at Nijō Castle twice. The building remained empty for more than two hundred years until the mid-nineteenth century, when the ruling shogun lived there for a time. By the 1860s, the power of the shoguns had weakened, prompting forces within Japan's government to rise up and end their control of the nation. In 1868, the emperor was restored to power and the seat of Japanese government was temporarily relocated to Kyoto. Emperor Meiji briefly used Nijō Castle as an imperial residence and signed the order ending shogun rule from Ninomaru Palace.

Nijō Castle served as the administrative center of Kyoto Prefecture for several years before falling into disrepair. In 1939, the imperial family granted the city of Kyoto control over the castle. The city restored the structure and opened the site to tourists. In 1994, Nijō Castle was included along with other historic monuments in Kyoto on the list of World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The castle has been used as a location in several Japanese and Hollywood film projects, including 2003's The Last Samurai.

Bibliography

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