The entrance gate to Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle), the residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, in Kyoto.  A professional photo of one of the interior rooms of Ninomaru Palace which still has the sumptuous wall and door paintings intact!

 It’s very dark inside the palace. and no photography is allowed, but it’s amazing that it is open to the public, with the relics displayed in the open air, no temperature or humidity controls during the summer time!  The red tassles on the side show the hidden chamber where the shogun’s bodyguards would hide.

The moat is still filled with water.  The gardens are impeccably manicured and propel you back in time.  You’d forget you were in modern day Japan if it weren’t for the tourists.  It is serene and tranquil—except for the squelching of the summer time semi (ciccadas).  

Below is the garden of four bridges.  Rocks in Japanese—and Chinese—gardens represent mountains, hills, and other land formations.  It’s the world in miniature.  The assemblage of natural organic pieces gives the illusion of making a small space appear larger by filling the eyes.  Water elements such as streams and waterfalls provide auditory enjoyment.