On February 21, 2024, Kyoto City announced that conservation repairs and earthquake-proofing work on the Nijo Castle Honmaru Palace (Nakagyo Ward), an important cultural property, will be completed in March, and that it will open to the public in September. Advance reservations will be required, and the number of participants will be limited to around 15 people, and there will be an admission fee (1,000 yen for the general public) in addition to the entrance fee. This is the first time in 18 years that the Honmaru Palace has been opened to the public.
The Honmaru Palace was destroyed by fire in the late Edo period, and the current building was relocated in 1894 from the former Katsuranomiya Palace in the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City). It is also known that at the end of the Edo period, Princess Kazunomiya lived here for a while before marrying the 14th shogun, Iemochi Tokugawa.
The Honmaru Palace was open to the public twice a year, but it has not been open to the public since it was discovered in 2006 that it was not strong enough. The construction work, which has been underway since fiscal 2017 at a total project cost of 1.56 billion yen, was completed in March, and the decision was made to open it to the public in an effort to harmonize the preservation and utilization of cultural properties.
Advance reservations for a specified time will be required, and electronic tickets will be sold on the Nijo Castle website, allowing for a relaxed viewing of about 15 people at a time. Before viewing, visitors can watch a guidance video that conveys the history and charm of Honmaru Palace, increasing their understanding and satisfaction.
In addition to the castle entrance fee (general 800 yen), there will be a new fee for viewing the Honmaru Palace. The fee will be 1,000 yen for adults, 300 yen for junior high and high school students, and 200 yen for elementary school students, and annual passports (2,600 yen) limited to citizens can also be used. The third Monday of the month and the following day are closed days for viewing. A related ordinance amendment bill will be submitted to the city council in March.
