Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle is a Japanese castle located in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, and is selected as one of the Best 100 Castles of Japan. Its castle keep still survives today and is one of the 12 original castle keeps remaining from the Edo period. The keep of Hikone Castle is designated as a National Treasure.

The construction of Hikone Castle began in 1604 under Naotsugu Ii, following the plan of Naomasa Ii. The castle was built with the support of Ieyasu Tokugawa. The main keep was completed in 1607, and the entire castle complex was finished in 1622. Materials such as buildings and stones were reused from nearby castles, including Sawayama Castle and Otsu Castle.

The highlight of Hikone Castle is its three-story main keep. The main keep is constructed of three floors with three layers of roofs. The roofs comprise a mix of Kirizumahafu (gables without a bottom edge), Irimoyahafu (gables whose edges form the natural edge of the roof), and Karahafu (curved gables without a bottom edge). The Tenbin Yagura turret is also one of the most notable structures of the castle.

Overview

No	50 (Best 100 Castles)
Name	Hikone Castle
Address	1-1, Konkicho, Hikone City, Shiga, 522-0061 〒522-0061 滋賀県彦根市金亀町1-1
Website	・Hikone Castle

Map of the Hikone Castle

*The pin position on the map is automatically obtained by the system, so the position may differ.