Hikone Castle
National Treasure (Main Keep); Special Historic Site · Hikone, Shiga
One of only twelve castles in Japan whose main keep survives from the feudal era, and one of five designated a National Treasure, standing on a hill above Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, in Shiga prefecture. It was built from 1603 to 1622 by the Ii clan, loyal retainers of the Tokugawa, partly with materials taken from older castles in the area. The keep is small but elegant, with a varied mix of gables and bell-shaped windows, and the steep original wooden stairs inside are almost ladders. From the top there are views over the town and the lake. Around the keep, the stone walls, moats, turrets and a gate brought from another castle are original, and the Genkyu-en garden below is a classic landscape garden with a pond and teahouse, framing the keep above. The castle's cat-samurai mascot, Hikonyan, is one of Japan's most popular, and appears at the castle daily. Cherry blossom around the moats in spring is spectacular. Hikone is about fifty minutes from Kyoto by train, and much quieter than the castles of Himeji or Osaka.
1-1 Konkicho, Hikone, Shiga, 522-0061, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the castle and Genkyu-en are open daily all year, about 8:30 am to 5 pm, with last entry around 30 minutes before closing. The museum has similar hours and may close for exhibition changes or on some days in winter. In cherry season, night illumination extends the grounds' hours, and queues for the keep can exceed an hour at weekends. The castle grounds can close in typhoons. Confirm current times before relying on them.