This palace, comprising 3300 square meters, was originally built in 1603 by the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu, and was completed in 1626 by the third Shogun Iemitsu. The palace proper consists of five buildings, with 33 rooms and 800 Tatami (straw mats) in total. It is almost entirely constructed of Hinoki wood (Japanese cypress). The paintings on the sliding doors and walls of each room are by great artists of the Kano School. The transoms above the sliding doors are beautifully carved from massive cypress blocks. To the northeast of the palace are service buildings for the preparation and storage of food. These have been designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese Government.
The building ,now known as Ninomaru, survives in its original form and is famous for its Momoyama architecture, decorated sliding doors and floors that squeak like nightingales when someone walks on them, a security measure against intruders.
- 1 - Yanagi-no-ma (Willow Room), Wakamatsu-no-ma (Young Pine Room)
The first two rooms near the entryway were used by inspectors to verify the identities of visiting feudal lords. They are named after the paintings on the sliding doors and walls.
- 2 - Tozamurai-no-ma (Retainers Room)
These rooms decorated with scenes of romping leopards and tigers on the screen doors and walls functioned as waiting chambers for visiting feudal lords. As there were no such animals in Japan at that time, the artists of the Kano School had to rely on imported hides to depict these exotic animals.
- 3 - Shikidai-no-ma (Reception Room)
In this room, the Shogun's ministers received visiting feudal lords, and accepted presents intended for the Shogun. The massive ancient pine trees on the sliding doors and walls were painted by the great artist Kano Tan'yu (1602-1674) when he was only twenty-five years old.
- 4 - Ohiroma San-no-ma (Third Grand Chamber)
This is the waiting room for visiting Tozama Daimyo (feudal lords who did not become retainers of the Tokugawa until after the decisive victory of Tokugawa at the battle in 1600). Each of the panels in the transoms is made of a single block of cypress 35 centimeters thick, and is carved on both sides with different designs. The metal nail covers of gold-plated copper found on the wooden members at floor are particularly notable here.
- 5 - Ohiroma Ichi-no-ma, Ni-no-ma (First and Second Grand Chambers)
These two chambers served as the most important official audience rooms in the palace. The interior design, incorporating bold forms of pines and a lavish use of gold and lacquer, was intended to overwhelm visiting feudal lords with the power and authority of the Tokugawa Military Government. Behind the sliding doors with beautiful red tassels is a room called Musha-kakushi-no-ma (the bodyguards' room). Here armed guards stood by to protect the Shogun.
Of great historical significance, these chambers were used in 1867 by the fifteenth Tokugawa Shogun Yoshinobu to announce the restoration of sovereignty to the Emperor. With this declaration, the long rule of over 250 years of the Tokugawa Shogunate was brought to -a close.
- 6 - Kuro-Shoin (Inner Audience Chamber)
This is the audience chamber of the inner palace. Here the Shogun granted private interviews to Shinpan Daimyo (feudal lords who are nearly related to Tokugawa) and Fudai Daimyo (feudal lords who sided with Tokugawa even before the battle of 1600 which consolidated their power). The architectural design of this room is similar to that of the Ohiroma (grand chambers). The beautiful paintings on the sliding doors and walls were executed by Kano Naonobu (1607-1650), a younger brother of Kano Tan'yu.
- 7 - Shiro-Shoin (Shogun's living quarters)
The innermost chambers of the Ninomaru Palace served as the Shogun's living quarters. The paintings on the walls and sliding doors were executed by Kano Koi (d. 1636). The modest and quiet mood of these mountain and water scenes served to create a relaxing atmosphere for the Shogun's daily life. The unique point of these chambers is the fact that only female attendants were allowed entry here.
- 8 - Ohiroma Yon-no-ma (Fourth Grand Chamber)
In this room were kept the Shogun's spears, swords and other weapons. The screen paintings of the magnificent pine trees and hawks by Kano Tan'yu are appropriate symbols of military prowess. One of the pine branches is 11 meters long.
- 9 - Rochu-no-ma (Ministers' Offices)
Three adjacent rooms served as offices of the Shogun's ministers. The excellent wall paintings of birds in natural settings were done by Kano Tan'yu. Notable are the plain upper walls and plank ceilings, reflecting the frugality of decoration in lesser, non-public areas of the palace.
- 10 - Chokushi-no-ma (Imperial Messenger's Room)
The Imperial Messenger of the Emperor was received by the Shogun in this splendid room. The paintings of maples on the walls and sliding doors were also executed by Kano School painters.
Uguisu-Bari (Nightingale Floor)
From the entrance of the Ninomaru Palace to the Ohiroma (Grand Chambers), the wooden floors squeak and creak when ever anyone-treads on them. When the floor is trod upon, the cramps under it move up and down, creating friction between the nails and the cramps which hold them in place, causing the floor to squeak. It is the bird-like sound thus emitted that gives this, the name Nightingale Floor.
