A fascination with moats

I may pretend that moats were something boys were interested in, but in truth, they fascinated me as well. The Nijo-jo Castle Imperial Villa had two: the outer moat surrounded the entire complex and within the walled off area an additional moat, the inner moat housed Honmaru-goten Palace and its garden.

Japanese Gardens

Skirting one side of Kyoto’s Ninomaru Palace, was a Japanese garden redesigned in the early 1600s for an Imperial visit. Had the day been sunny, I would have spent more time admiring the rock arrangements and arched bridges that stretched over the pond. Arriving early, I at least avoided the usual crowds that visited this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kyoto’s Ninomaru-goten Palace

Within the Nijo-jo Castle complex, on a slushy wet morning, I passed through Kara-mon gate and entered Ninomaru-goten Palace. It was a relief to be out of the rain after walking from my hotel to the site, but I soon forgot the wet conditions when I spied the opulent rooms where shoguns once ruled.