Simon Clarke | Feb 21, 2018

Absolutely amazing castle. The biggest we saw on our trip by far. You are free to walk around through the interior of the building, everything is wonderfully preserved. The floors even have an 'intruder-proof' design to them - I won't spoil it, you'll see for yourself when you visit! The walk around the surrounding grounds is equally beautiful, especially when the sun is out. Well worth the price of admission.

Uli Villanueva | Feb 25, 2018

Super beautiful place. Osaka's old residence for the emperor. It's really big, with a lot of open space inside, you can see the interior of the castle as well which is very interesting. It has little boards with information about the different rooms, but as always it's better to go with a guide. Entrance cost is 600Y for an adult and there is discount if you go in large groups. A must if you visit Kyoto for a day!

KH Wong | Jan 4, 2018

A worthwhile visit and one could easily spend a few hours seeing the palace and wondering around the spacious castle. The main gate is currently under restoration, so one have to enter through the smaller south gate. Really like the wall paintings in those rooms. Note that no photography is allowed inside the palace. Ceiling paintings are exquisite. The intricate details and carvings of the gates are lovely. Although there are many tourists, the palace ground is large enough for you to find a corner to sit back and slow down, taking in the experience. Or may be just relax and do some reading, after having spent much time rushing through Kyoto's sights.

Michael Wiskerchen | Feb 4, 2018

It's a beautiful castle. Great tour area. I recommend that everyone use the audio tour. There are a number of different languages available and its very inexpensive. The audio tour indicates it takes one hour but of course you can go as slow as you want to take in the scene. Inside the castle you cannot take photos.

Henry Hargrove | Mar 4, 2018

Grounds are pretty but the inside is very interesting (you can not take pictures). Inside, original or recreation panel paintings are beautiful and there is a nice mockup of how the emperor held court with his high officials. There is a small tea house on the grounds that is sometimes open to the public, everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I would plan on visiting this and Osaka Castle since the stories they tell are very different.

Sea Tac | Apr 8, 2018

This was one of the more interesting places to go. I was more interested in the landscape than the interior of the palace. We came at the end of the cherry tree blossom and it was still wonderful. The grounds is huge and the crowds don't pose a problem. The ticket entrance machine is a little confusing even when you select the English option. Stay to the left of the ticket line to buy a ticket from a live person. Make sure you look or grab a map, you can easily miss many spots. Expect to walk a lot and scale large stairs. Handicap friendly for many parts of the grounds.

Sofia Smith | Apr 19, 2018

Beautiful castle. This was my second time coming here and things definitely changed. They are a lot more inclusive of English speakers now and have better/improved signage so you can understand each area within. The food and gift shop area was a nice edition too, doesn't impose on the old feeling that the castle has as its outside of the building. Would recommend Nijo for anyone wanting to see a cool Castle, access is easy by the local subway in Kyoto.

Mister Ed | Apr 21, 2018

Impressive former imperial Palace that's worth a visit. The main buildings are impressive and interesting and the gardens are really pretty employing a style whereby rough stones are used to border the pond and lakes which is not something I've seen very often. The gardens are also understated and landscaped making maximum use of multiple views. It's worth boring that the original paintings and some decorations are not in the Palace itself but in the museum building with in the grounds which is extra. Also for some reason there was a cigarette promotional tent within the grounds employing promo girls which seemed out of place, something I've never seen anywhere else in Japan. Overall its worth visiting as the historical significance and aesthetic qualities of the gardens make this place sufficiently different from other sites

Otis Lee | Apr 5, 2018

Nijo Castle was one of the more interesting world heritage sites I've seen so far on my trip. It has a lot of historical significance that you can read about in the welcome pamphlet and signs littered about the premises. The line to get in may seem very long, but it moves very fast. The architectural variety is fascinating, and the gardens/moats provide some pretty nice pictures. Experiencing the nightingale floors was also pretty neat. Definitely worth a visit!

Dru 1 | Apr 8, 2018

I found the outside of the castle more interesting than the inside. There is interesting artwork on the inside and the rooms are interesting. Although you are not allowed to take pictures. I relay liked the walkways on the outside of the castle. Nice pictures can be taken there. Would I say it is a place to prioritise if you have limited time? Probably not, but if you’re in the vicinity, worth a visit.

Tecwyn Lee | May 15, 2018

Fantastic heritage site. Many people simply take one or two pictures and don't admire the building, but if you look closely you will see small amazing details on the walls, gates, roof. It's really worth just spending a few moments watching the world go by. There is a lovely little restaurant where you can eat inside or outside. Price and food are really good for a lovely meal.

Margaret Swait | May 20, 2018

One of the best historic sites in Kyoto. More elaborate decorations than the imperial palace or villa. Better than the villa and palace, as you could go inside the buildings to see the rooms rather than get brief glimpses from outside. Sadly, indoor photography was forbidden but at least you got a better understanding of the design and artistry of the interiors; also the scope of the building and an idea of what it may have felt like to have visited or lived there in times past.

Horst von Hinten | May 18, 2018

It's a beautiful and astonishing big historical building. Very interesting to look at and It's nice to be allowed to stroll around the pretty garden surroundings. Pity that you may not take pictures inside the castle, but I guess that rule is related to the conservation of the building and the pretty wall paintings. Also, the toilets could be a little bit cleaner. Apart from those two minor mishaps, it is a really nice castle and well worth the 600¥ entrance fee.

Anil D'Souza | Jun 17, 2018

Very impressive! From the front gate of the castle and the surrounding facade, you get a sense for the strength and security present during the Shogunate. The keepers have done a great job of making the tour very informative, bring me back to the time of the shoguns. The grounds are beautiful so make sure to save enough time to walk the full route around. Towards the back of the gardens there is a high wall that you can climb with an amazing view of the grounds in the city beyond it.

Nikki Lee | Jun 18, 2018

A nice place to visit in Kyoto. You need to pay an admission fee before stepping on to the castle grounds. Then you loop around before you get to the main area. The staff require you to take off your shoes and place them in some shoe cubbies. Walking through the castle they have plaques that explained the different uses of the rooms. They also had mannequins that gave people a better understanding of the rooms' purpose. There are gardens to walk through and I believe a little rest stop inside the castle grounds

Tom Krebs | May 31, 2018

As with many historical items, photography of the interior here is not allowed. What is a mystery is why this is so when the original interiors have been removed for safe-keeping and reproductions now hang in their place? A visitor would be photographing reproductions. This makes no sense to me. I would've loved to have taken interior shots because the wall coverings radiate natural sunlight, illuminating the rooms in a truly unique fashion. Such a shame! I hope this policy is reconsidered in favor of the visitor. That said, the hallways are on the exterior of the buildings and made of creaky wood deliberately in an early anti-invader security measure -- so that an intruder could be heard by the floor making noise in the hallway. A nice outdoor garden on the property too.

Linda Treadwell | May 30, 2018

Spent a lovely afternoon here. Castle was wonderful. So beautiful and interesting. Especially the Kimono Robot Exhibition towards the end of our tour. . Amazing garments and the way the whole thing was presented with the music too. Superb artistry and robotics. We loved every minute of it all.

Nick Kisel | Jul 10, 2018

Pretty palace and stone walls. There's a section where you take off your shoes and walk through the palace rooms: much of the art has been removed or has been recreated, but it's still beautiful. Information panels and mannequins inside the rooms describe the uses of each area of the castle. Can get a nice view of the city and mountains from one of the corners. Features a well air-conditioned rest area with drinks and food near the entrance, which was helpful on our hot July day.

Ben Friedman | Jul 16, 2018

I wouldn't call it a castle in the Osaka castle or Himeji sense of the word, but this palace and the surrounding grounds are wonderful. It is definitely a little gem tucked right in the middle of the city. Being able to walk though it and see the inside was a great experience. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed inside so you'll just have to go for yourself. The palace grounds were beautifully maintained and it was so serene. Definitely worth checking out

Magalí Gimenez | Jul 30, 2018

Very nice place, you can enter to the palace where they explain every room. There are beautiful gardens, bridges an views. Is very well prepared for the visitor, totally worth it, better than the imperial palace. Lot of history there if you are one of those

Mecha Nova | Jul 28, 2018

Very great place to learn some history of Japan. Was a good walking distance from our place we were staying. Sold green and black tea shaved ice and ice cream at their rest area. Recommend if your in Kyoto!