Facinating original castle that is very worth visiting. I really love thier mascot Hikonyan, definitely one of the cutest and most charming mascot I encountered. They have some stores selling it's merch and I gladly bought some. They also have a live mascot shows at certain times of the day, but it was outside the ticketing area. The staff told me I can't reenter the ticketed area if I exit to see the show which I thought its kinda weird.
The castle grounds are way bigger than I thought, we spent almost 3 hours, without even visiting the garden cause we ran out of time. The hike up to the castle can be quite steep and long at the beginning. The scenary and nature along the hike are beautiful during the autumn season when we visited.
The castle itself is beautiful and well preserved. The stairs inside the castle can be super steep. There wasn't much to see inside except for the original castle structure, but the views are very good on the top. You can get a very nice and clear view of Lake Biwa and the town.
There's also a traditonal garden but we didn't go. You can easily allocate half a day to explore the castle grounds. Highly recommended.
Visited Hikone Castle today based on a friend’s recommendation, and it was a great experience. The ¥1,000 admission fee covers both the castle and Genkyuen Garden. As one of the few remaining original castles in Japan, its architecture is truly impressive. It requires a bit of walking, but you can explore the entire grounds in about 90 minutes. The atmosphere of the traditional Japanese structures and the serene garden is fantastic.
Reaching this castle after going up long steps, we were on a plateau where the keep was. It was smaller than other castle keeps we've seen, but the small size made it so kawai, if a castle can be called cute. It was in remarkable preservation. We also visited the castle garden but it was in winter time so it wasn't in the best condition.
This castle is a symbol and source of pride for Hikone. It took about 15 minutes to walk to the castle gate. Built by Ii Naomasa on a mountaintop, I had to climb stairs.
This is not a reconstructed castle from the Showa or Heisei era, but one of the 12 existing castle keeps. Therefore, just like Himeji Castle, nothing was inside the castle. I mean no exhibitions. I simply enjoyed the magnificent view of Lake Biwa.
I hope this castle and Hikone City will be registered as a World Heritage Site. I saw a Hikonyan mascot. The title of the World Heritage Site makes Hikonyan so happy! Gambare!
Excellent castle experience with views over the largest lake in Japan. Accessible via an irregular uphill stone path. Do not do the castle tour if you have difficulty climbing ladders in socks- there are 3-4 of those.
