Hikone's keep is one of only twelve Japanese castles with an original wooden tower surviving from before 1868, and one of a handful designated National Treasures. It was built in the early 1600s for the Ii clan, who governed the area into the Meiji era, and the compound still has its moat, stone ramparts and Genkyuen, a strolling garden laid out below the castle hill. The appeal is walking through a keep that was never rebuilt in concrete: low doorways, steep original staircases and small defensive openings rather than a museum reconstruction.
| Distance | 35 km northeast of Otsu |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 30 min by JR Biwako Line New Rapid from Otsu to Hikone Station, then 15-min walk |
| Getting there | JR Biwako Line New Rapid from Otsu Station to Hikone Station (30 min, ¥990/$6.20), then a 15–20 min walk uphill to the castle. Ohmi Railway also stops at Hikone Station. |
| Address | 1-1 Konkicho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0061 |
How to get there
- Mode
- JR Biwako Line (New Rapid)
- Duration
- 30 min
- Cost
- ¥990 ($6.20)
- Notes
- Direct from Otsu; departs every 10–15 min
- Mode
- Rental car
- Duration
- 40 min
- Cost
- ¥6,000–10,000 ($37.80–63) car rental
- Notes
- Allows combining with Taga Taisha or the Genkyuen garden
Location
1-1 Konkicho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0061
35.2764, 136.2517 View on map
Highlights
- Tenshu (main keep) — original Edo-period wooden structure with a National Treasure designation
- Genkyuen Garden — Edo-era pond garden built for the Ii lords at the foot of the castle
- Hikone Castle Museum — reconstructed lord's residence with Ii clan armor and tea-ceremony rooms
- Umanoya (horse stable) — a rare surviving Edo-period castle stable building