Nijo Castle

Well, last weekend was not particularly eventful. For the most part I stayed in, got some rest, did some homework…and watched my new Takarazuka DVDs. All very important things. The week itself was not very eventful either, as per usual, and so also not much deserving of recounting, but I did have a small class field trip to Nijo Castle (another UNESCO world heritage site) that was rather fun. Nijo Castle was built by the first Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu back around 1610 in the middle of Kyoto more as a symbol of power than as residence, as the Tokugawas actually ruled from Edo (modern-day Tokyo). I went there with my architecture class, as it is a wonderfully preserved example of a very old building style. It is essentially a fortress in the middle of the city with battlements, arrow towers, a moat, and several interior layers of defence as well. The part of it that we went to see was Ninomaru palace, which is inside all of the walls and is extremely lovely. Every room is painted and gold-leafed, and there are massive wood carvings over many of the doors. Outside of the rather massive building is a garden that is also very lovely in a rather austere sort of way. It’s probable that it’s a little prettier in spring when there are actually flowers, but I rather liked it the way it was. One of the most famous features of the palace is what they call the ‘nightingale floor’, which cannot be tread upon without making a squeaking sound reminiscent of chirping birds. This was to prevent anyone from sneaking up on the Shogun. It really was nice, though a little chilly, and I really wish that cameras were allowed inside the building itself, but they probably are worried about the effect of flashes on the paintings inside.
-The rooms inside the palace are painted to reflect their uses. For instance, rooms for receiving lower-ranked lords who might have fought on the opposing side in the battle that established the Tokugawa Shogunate is painted with tigers and hawks, while the rooms that served as the private quarters have serene landscapes on the walls.
-While many traditional Japanese buildings have painted sliding doors, or scrolls in special niches, Ninomaru palace’s rooms are like one continuous painting, continuing above the doors, into alcoves and sometimes even onto the ceiling.
-No one new is allowed into the palace after 4pm, and I don’t think that you can enter the main Nijo castle structure after 3.
-Even though I had heard that in Japan department stores and the like play ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (pardon my butchering of the spelling) when they are trying to close for the evening, this was the first time that I actually heard it.