Castles of Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara and became Shogun, ruling Japan in both name and reality. Nijo Castle was built in 1603 to protect the Imperial Palace and as a place for the Shogun to stay when he visited Kyoto. Later, in 1867, Nijo Castle was also where the 15th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, declared his intention to return power to the Emperor, signaling the end of the Edo period. Incidentally, Ieyasu only built the area around Ninomaru Palace. It was during the Kan'ei period that Nijo Castle took on its current appearance, including the castle tower and Honmaru Palace. Tokugawa Ieyasu's son Hidetada and grandson Iemitsu carried out extensive renovations to welcome Emperor Gomizunoo.

Basic information:https://www.the-kansai-guide.com/en/directory/item/10044/

Fushimi has been a strategic point connecting Kyoto and Osaka since ancient times. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Fushimi Castle here in his later years. After Hideyoshi died, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved into the castle, but it was attacked by Ishida Mitsunari and burned down during the Battle of Sekigahara. Around 1602, Ieyasu rebuilt Fushimi Castle three times. Until it was abandoned in 1623, Fushimi Castle continued to function as the western base of the Tokugawa clan, with three generations of Tokugawas, Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu, receiving the shogunate title. The castle ruins are the tomb of Emperor Meiji, and although you cannot enter the central area, you can see the remains of a large moat.

Basic information:https://www.the-kansai-guide.com/en/directory/item/22286/