Certainly one of the highlights of Kyoto, with fine gardens and splendid centuries-old structures. The castle was originally built by the Tokugawa shoguns to serve as the shogun's residence in Kyoto. After the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the castle served as an imperial residence before being converted to a museum and opened to the public. The series of ornately-decorated reception rooms within the Ninomaru Palace complex is particularly impressive, and known for its "nightingale floors" - wooden flooring which makes bird-like squeaking sounds when stepped on so as to give advance warning when someone was approaching. From the empty base of the donjon that once overlooked the innermost section of the fortress (known as the Honmaru), you can get good views over parts of the castle compound and the wider city beyond. The donjon and original honmaru palace burnt down in two separate fires, and the existing honmaru palace was constructed in the early Meiji period (late 19th century). Unlike the ninomaru palace, the honmaru palace is not open to the public, though visitors may walk in the honmaru garden and view the exterior of the palace up close.