Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle (彦根城, Hikone-jō) is a Japanese castle in the city of Hikone, on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. It is one of the most important castles in the country for a simple reason: it is original. Where most Japanese "castles" are 20th-century concrete reconstructions, Hikone Castle's keep has stood since it was completed in 1604, making it one of only twelve original castle keeps to survive intact in Japan. The keep is designated a National Treasure, and several of the surrounding turrets are Important Cultural Properties.

The castle was the seat of the Ii family, powerful daimyō who served the Tokugawa shogunate; building the fortress took some two decades and reused materials from earlier castles in the region, including Nagahama and Sawayama. The complex is more than a single tower: it includes the keep, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats, the adjacent Genkyū-en Garden, and a museum. Even the castle bell, rung every three hours, is preserved as a nationally recognised soundscape. Today the castle is the centrepiece and symbol of Hikone, and the home turf of the city's famous cat mascot, Hiko-nyan.

The castle sits in a hilltop park in central Hikone. Spring is the most spectacular time to visit, when the grounds are wrapped in cherry blossom; autumn brings fine foliage to the garden. Shiga summers are warm and humid, winters cool with occasional lake-effect snow.

By Plane

There is no airport at Hikone. The nearest gateways are Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) near Nagoya and the Osaka airports — Kansai International (KIX) and Itami (ITM). From any of them, travel by train toward Nagoya or Osaka/Kyoto and continue to Hikone on the JR Biwako Line.

By Train

The castle is reached from Hikone Station on the JR Tōkaidō Main Line (the Biwako Line). Shinkaisoku rapid trains take about 50 minutes from Kyoto and about 80 minutes from Osaka; the nearest Shinkansen station, Maibara, is one local stop away. From Hikone Station the castle is a 15- to 20-minute walk along the main road.

By Car / Road

Hikone is an exit on the Meishin Expressway between Nagoya and Osaka, and National Route 8 runs through the city. The castle is in central Hikone with parking nearby.

The castle complex is explored on foot. Paths climb from the entrance gates up through the turrets and walls to the keep, and the route takes in the moats and the adjacent Genkyū-en Garden. Allow a couple of hours for an unhurried visit. Some of the stairs within the original keep are steep and ladder-like — original castle architecture was not designed for easy access — so wear suitable footwear. From Hikone Station, the walk to the castle or a rental bicycle are the usual ways to arrive.

• The castle keep (天守) — the original three-storey keep completed in 1604, a designated National Treasure; the interior can be climbed for views over the grounds and Lake Biwa.
• Turrets and gates — surviving structures around the keep, several classified as Important Cultural Properties, illustrating the castle's defensive layout.
• Genkyū-en Garden (玄宮園) — the landscape garden at the foot of the castle, built in 1677 in Tang-dynasty Chinese style for the fourth lord of Hikone, with a teahouse serving matcha.
• Hikone Castle Museum (彦根城博物館), 1-1 Konki-cho — an excellent museum of Ii-family samurai artefacts and artwork, on the castle grounds.

Admission to the castle is ¥800, including entry to Genkyū-en; the museum has a separate ¥500 charge. The grounds are generally open daily from around 08:30 to 17:00.

The core activity is touring the castle complex — climbing the original keep, walking the turrets and walls, and strolling the moats. Pausing at the Genkyū-en teahouse for ceremonial green tea and a sweet (around ¥500) is a quiet highlight. The Hikone Castle Museum is well worth the extra ticket for its samurai collection. Visitors who time it right may catch an appearance by Hiko-nyan, the city's costumed cat mascot, who makes scheduled appearances on the grounds. Spring cherry-blossom viewing in the castle park is a major seasonal draw.

The approach roads to the castle and the Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road are lined with restaurants and tea shops. The local speciality is Ōmi beef, one of Japan's top wagyu brands; the area's eateries also serve unagi (eel) and standard Japanese fare.

The Genkyū-en teahouse serves matcha in a classic garden setting. Cafés and tea shops cluster along the castle approach and Castle Road. Japanese tap water is safe to drink.

There is no accommodation within the castle grounds; visitors stay in the surrounding city of Hikone, which has a range of options.

• Budget: Business Hotel Serikawa (ビジネスホテル芹川) — single rooms from around ¥3,990; and Tobaya Ryokan (鳥羽や旅館), a cosy family-run ryokan from around ¥4,950.
• Mid-range: Hotel Sunroute Hikone, singles from around ¥6,930; Hotel Hikone Castle Resort & Spa, singles from around ¥6,500.
• Upscale / heritage: > TODO: Confirm a named upscale or heritage property near Hikone Castle with current rates.

The Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road, running from the southwest of the castle park, is a street of traditional wooden buildings housing souvenir and craft shops. Expect castle- and samurai-themed gifts, local crafts, and a great deal of Hiko-nyan merchandise. Prices are fixed; bargaining is not customary in Japan.

• Hikone — the castle's own city; explore its temples, gardens and the Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road.
• Maibara — one stop away by rail; the nearest Shinkansen station.
• Nagahama — north along Lake Biwa; with a reconstructed castle and a glass-art quarter.
• Omihachiman — toward Kyoto; a historic merchant town with restored canals.
• Otsu — at the southern end of the lake; Shiga's prefectural capital.
• Kyoto — about 50 minutes by rapid train; the ancient imperial capital.