One of only five tenshu designated National Treasures, together with Himeji and Matsumoto.
You climb a double flight of stairs as steep as 62 degrees, designed to slow down an enemy in armour, inside a tower completed in 1622 by the Ii clan. The roof combines four different gable styles in a single profile, which is why it is considered the most elaborate of the five tenshu (the main towers) that have survived intact from the Edo period. From the top floor you can see Lake Biwa.
Built between 1604 and 1622 by the Ii clan, lords of the Hikone domain throughout the Edo period. It is one of the twelve Japanese castles that retain their original tenshu, and one of the five designated National Treasures (1952).
ℹ️ Adult ticket 800 yen for the inner moat area; there is a combined ticket with Genkyū-en Garden (1,000 yen). Opening hours and days vary with the season: check on site or with the Hikone tourist association.
🚉 Hikone · 17 min walk
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