This castle DIDN�T burn down during the war, so the inside�s filled with really awesome art- the sliding screens between the rooms are painted in gold leaf, the crosspieces over the door are incredibly detailed carvings (different design on each side! Collect �em all!) and the Tokugawa Era Security System is still in place. I�ve got no pictures of this, as cameras were forbidden, so here�s the facts:

All of the hallways are equipped with �Nightingale Floors�- the floorboards are tuned and fitted with squeaky brass nails so that no matter how light your footsteps (NINJA!) they chirp like, well, nightingales. The groups filing through made the place sound like the Detroit Zoo Birdhouse. In addition to the chirpy floorboards (an excellent excuse to use the next time you have a squeaky staircase, by the by), there are a pair of doors in each room whose handles have been fitted with red tassels. These red-rope doors lead to a subroom in which a trained retinue of samurai would sit and wait while the Shogun held audience with the local lords, or daimyo. Basically, it�s a walk-in closet full of beatdown. Interesting Factoid- the Whoopass Closet was in the same place in every room- to the left of where the Shogun would sit- in every room except the room where the Shogun received messengers from the emperor. In this room, the Whoopass closet was next to the messenger�s assigned seat. Whether this is to protect the messenger or prevent the delivery of bad news is a question better left to someone with more facility in Japanese.

Outside the first castle, I snapped a picture of just one of the AMAZING architectural touches.
It is my gift to you.