Nijō Castle is located in Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, on the island of Honshu, Japan. The castle is surrounded by an outer fortification and a moat. Modern-day visitors pass through the Higashi-Ōte-mon (the Great Eastern Gate), pass by the Guard House, and approach the Karamon Gate to the Ninomaru Palace.
The hanging bells shown in one of the photos below were used to alert the populace of fires or other emergencies. The shisa or guardian lion, also shown in one of the photos below, is a protector from evil.
SOURCE: Higashi-Ōte-mon (Great Eastern Gate) of Nijō Castle (Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 April 2019.
SOURCE: Gabels of Nijō Castle Guardhouse (Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 April 2019.
SOURCE: Karamon Gate to the Ninomaru Palace of Nijō Castle (Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 April 2019.
SOURCE: Ninomaru Palace in Nijō Castle (Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 April 2019.
SOURCE: Hanging Bells in Nijō Castle (Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 April 2019.
SOURCE: Shisa (Guardian Lion) on Roof in Nijō Castle (Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Honshu, Japan); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 25 April 2019.
Copyright © 2019 by Stephen J. Danko
