Nijo Castle was, of course, built by Ieyasu Tokugawa (VERY famous Shogun in Japan in the 16th-17th Century. The primary purpose of the castle was to be a symbol of power – to impress his allies and worry his enemies. It was successful…this castle is exquisite and filled with the carvings and paintings that are nothing short of spectacular. Sadly, you can’t take pictures inside but I did get some cards to give you a bit of a glimpse.
Shoguns were really into being top-dog in the social hierarchy – and it was a big deal during the feudal period of Japan. The higher ranking or distinguished a person was, the further they were allowed into the castle compound. Not only that, the higher their position, the higher the floor level they were allowed to stay in. Then, on top of that, there was always a raised platform in any room where the shogun would be seated so that no one’s head was higher than his.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment