Shiga · Lake BiwaNo.198★★★Open in map →
Hikone Castle
A hilltop castle completed in 1622, with one of only five original main keeps designated a National Treasure. The stone walls rise over double moats on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa.
Hikone Castle stands on a low hill above the lake town of Hikone, its three-story keep reflected in the inner moat. The main keep, a tsuke-turret, and a tamon-turret together form the castle's core — all three are original Edo-period structures and share National Treasure status. The keep itself was relocated piece by piece from Otsu Castle, built in 1575, making it older than the castle it now crowns. During the Meiji era, when the new government ordered all feudal fortifications demolished, Hikone Castle was spared by direct imperial request — Emperor Meiji, passing through on a tour, intervened personally. The double moats and the surrounding park, with more than a thousand cherry trees planted in 1934, complete a picture that has stayed largely unchanged for four centuries.
Background & history
Construction was begun in 1601 by Ii Naomasa, a general of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and completed by his son Ii Naokatsu in 1622 — a project of about twenty years. The Ii clan held Hikone as their domain through the entire Edo period. The keep was officially designated a National Treasure on 29 March 1952 and the grounds a National Historic Site. It is one of twelve Japanese castles with an original Edo-period keep still standing, and one of only five where the keep holds National Treasure status.
What to look for — in walking order
- Main keep (Tenshukaku)
- three-story original keep; mix of kirizuma, irimoya and karahafu rooflines visible from the approach
- Tsuke-turret & Tamon-turret
- the two attached structures that together with the keep form the National Treasure group
- Inner moat and stone walls
- double moats encircling the hilltop; the stone walls are visible from the path up
- Genkyuen garden
- an Edo-period stroll garden adjoining the castle; the keep appears over the pond
How to enjoy it
From Hikone Station, walk west about fifteen minutes through the castle town streets to the ticket gate. Admission to the castle grounds, keep, and Genkyuen garden is bundled in a single ticket (1,000 yen for adults at the main gate). The full circuit of the stone walls and moat before climbing to the keep gives the best sense of scale. Cherry blossom season in late March and April brings large crowds, but the castle itself is photogenic year-round.
How to actually get there
- Kyoto Station → Hikone Station (JR Biwako Line, ~45–50 min).
- Hikone Station west exit → walk west ~15 min to the main ticket gate.
- Buy bundled ticket, walk the outer stone walls, then climb to the National Treasure keep.
- JR Biwako Line from Kyoto Station
- Kyoto Station → (JR Biwako Line rapid or local, about 45–50 min) → Hikone Station. Trains run frequently throughout the day. From Hikone Station's west exit, walk straight west about 15 minutes to reach the castle's main ticket gate. The route is level and well signed.
- Return on the JR Biwako Line from Hikone Station
- Walk back east about 15 minutes from the castle gate to Hikone Station. Trains to Kyoto run frequently and no booking is needed. An IC card (Suica or ICOCA) works for the whole journey.
Before you go
- Cash
- Castle admission (keep + Genkyuen garden bundled): 1,000 yen for adults, 300 yen for children — purchase at the main ticket gate. IC cards are accepted on JR trains; bring cash for the castle admission.
- Closing days
- The castle grounds are open 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). The interior of the keep involves steep original wooden stairs — proper footwear is recommended. The museum buildings close on certain year-end dates.
- Another way
- From Osaka Station, take the JR Biwako Line rapid train directly to Hikone (about 80 min). No transfer required.
- After you get off
- From Hikone Station west exit, walk straight west along the main approach road for about 15 minutes to the castle's front ticket booth, which is the closest entrance to the station.