So Much More Than the Keep! A Guide to Hikone Castle’s Top Highlights

When it comes to Hikone Castle, the National Treasure keep is a must-see.
It’s not a particularly large keep, but one of its defining features is its beautiful exterior, with three types of gables that protect the building from rain and fire, plus black-lacquered kato-mado windows shaped like pointed arches.
It also has openings for shooting bows and guns, making it excellent not only in design but also in practicality.
You can also tour the inside, and from the top floor you can take in sweeping views of Hikone’s cityscape, Lake Biwa, and the ruins of Sawayama Castle.

All four turrets that remain at Hikone Castle—Tenbin Yagura, Taikomon Yagura, Nishinomaru Sanju Yagura, and Ninomaru Sawaguchi Tamon Yagura—are designated Important Cultural Properties.
Each turret has different features, so comparing them is part of the fun.

This facility once managed the horses of the lord of Hikone Castle, and a building that can house 21 horses still remains today.
There are few other examples of a stable this large, and it’s designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The L-shaped building has a small tatami room at the east end where it meets the Sawa-guchi turret gate, and aside from the gate near the opposite west end, the rest of the structure was used for resting horses and caring for them.

Genkyu-en is a daimyo garden whose construction began in 1677—around 50 years after the castle’s completion—when Ii Naooki, the fourth lord of the Hikone Domain, started building it along the moat. It was completed in 1679.
Together with the Ninomaru Palace known as Rakuraku-en, it was designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1951 as “Genkyu Rakuraku-en.”
In 2015, it was also recognized as Japan Heritage as a component cultural property of “Lake Biwa and Its Waterfront Landscape—A Water Heritage of Prayer and Life.”
Built around a large pond, this strolling garden offers many different views, including nine bridges spanning inlets and islands in the pond.

You can cruise the moat on a restored yakatabune, modeled after boats once used for inspections by the castle lord and for entertaining feudal lords.
Hikone Castle seen from below in the moat feels more impressive than from the ground.
The moat area is rich in nature, with cherry blossoms in spring and fall foliage in autumn.
Reservations are required, but you can also order a bento and eat it on board.
Why not cruise Hikone Castle’s moat and enjoy the experience like a castle lord or feudal lord?

A Japanese-style ryokan that has welcomed guests for around 140 years since 1880, right in the heart of Hikone Castle’s castle town.
It operates along Hanashobu-dori, an area designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
As you step into the entrance filled with the scent of incense, you’ll see retro noren curtains and lanterns, woodblock prints, and framed works left behind by Ii Naosuke—furnishings that tell the story of its history.
All 12 guest rooms retain the charm of the Edo period, with a calm, inviting atmosphere. From the first-floor hallway you can look out onto an inner courtyard, which is lit up at night so you can enjoy its garden beauty and fully experience the appeal of this traditional inn.

These castle ruins sit on Mt. Sawayama (232.5 m) on the north side of JR Hikone Station, and are said to have been built in the early Kamakura period by the Sasaki clan, the shugo (military governor) of Omi.
In 1595, Ishida Mitsunari, a warrior who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, became the lord, and it’s said that at its height the castle featured a five-tier keep with structures such as the Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru, with Toriimoto as its main approach. It’s also said that a castle town had already formed within the moats.
A hiking course of around 30 minutes from JR Hikone Station leads to the summit, where you can enjoy historic sites and scenic spots such as the Nishinomaru and Honmaru ruins, the “Kiridoshi” pass that runs along the north side of the castle, and the remnants of corner stone walls known as “Sumi Ishigaki.”

Lake Biwa, in central Shiga Prefecture, belongs to the Yodo River system (a Class A river) and covers Approx. 670 km²—about one-sixth of the prefecture’s area. Fed by rivers flowing from surrounding ranges such as Mt. Ibuki, the Suzuka Mountains, and the Hira Mountains (with peaks over 1,000 m), it holds 27.5 billion tons of water, making it Japan’s largest lake by both surface area and water volume.
A narrow lake that once formed near today’s Iga City in Mie Prefecture is said to have been shaped by fault activity and other forces, shifting in form and location over time before settling in its current position around 400,000 years ago—making it one of only around 20 ancient lakes confirmed worldwide.
Because of this, many of the creatures living in Lake Biwa have evolved in unique ways, and it’s also known for its diversity, with over 60 endemic species found nowhere else in the world.

Omi Niku Sennaritei Kyara is a specialty Omi beef restaurant located on Yume Kyobashi Castle Road.
In a storehouse said to have been built in the Edo period (1603–1867), you can enjoy the special kaiseki course “Ichigo Ichie” in the “Kura Special Room,” limited to one group per day (up to 10 people).
There’s a wide menu selection, including set meals, kaiseki, sukiyaki, steak, and sushi. The signature dish is “Cha-shabu,” shabu-shabu in kombu broth infused with Shiga-grown Asamiya tea.

A set-meal restaurant inside a shopping center in front of JR Hikone Station.
You can try “Hikone-don,” made with Omi beef and local ingredients, created in fall 2011 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Hikone’s incorporation as a city.
Of the 10 official recipes, Shikisai serves “Hikotorodon.”
It features plenty of Omi beef tendon and the local specialty red konnyaku cut into shirataki-like strands, topped with green shiso and a soft-boiled onsen egg.

A specialty Omi champon shop carrying on the flavors of “Menrui wo Kabe,” which opened in 1963.
Champontei Sohonke’s signature golden broth is made with a base of Omi chicken bones, kombu from southern Hokkaido, and six types of shaved dried fish, including bonito and mackerel.
By simmering it in a small pot over high heat, it draws out the sweetness of the vegetables and emulsifies the fat from the meat, creating a deep, comforting flavor that’s light yet rich.

A resort hotel on the shores of Lake Biwa, offering sweeping lake views not only from the guest rooms, but from anywhere in the building.
With the theme “Born in Shiga,” you can feel it throughout the property—not just in the food—and it’s popular for a luxurious stay that lets you forget everyday life.
The guest rooms, furnished with original pieces made from Shiga wood, are small in number: six rooms on the second floor and eight on the third, for a total of 14 rooms.
Guests also receive a “Welcome with Aroma” service, choosing from four scents, so you can relax while surrounded by your preferred fragrance infused into Shiga-grown hinoki cypress.

A multi-use resort hotel that opened in August 2023. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, it sits in a signature Omi resort area near attractions like the National Treasure Hikone Castle and Matsubara Swimming Beach.
As a Hotel New Awaji Group property, it’s designed so you can fully enjoy the waterfront scenery.
The front desk, the hotel’s main entrance point, is on the top floor. When the crimson doors open, the first thing you see is a grand panoramic view of Lake Biwa. From the observation lounge, you can soak in the lake views—an uplifting welcome that quickly captures guests’ hearts.

A lakeside resort hotel set in a naturally beautiful location, with Mt. Ibuki to the east and Lake Biwa to the west.
From the guest rooms, you can take in sweeping views of the lake’s dramatic seasonal scenery.
Inspired by the streets of Verona in northern Italy, the interior has an international feel that makes you feel like you’re traveling abroad.
Rooms range from Western-style twin rooms and Japanese-style rooms to compact singles and suite rooms with different interiors inspired by Italy’s regions.