Ii Clan, Hikone Castle

400-year-old Hikone Castle, a historic spot to take in the changing leaves and the flowers of the four seasons - Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture

The Ii Clan Hikone Castle, which sits atop the summit of Mt. Hikone along the eastern banks of Lake Biwa, features a three-story, three-tier castle tower decorated in the work of master artisans. Hikone was once home to Sawayamajo Castle, residence of Ishida Mitsunari; however, after the Battle of Sekigahara, the Ii Clan began building its own Castle at the behest of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Stone walls, building materials, and structures were brought from other places: castle towers came from Sawayama Castle and Otsujo Castle, while the tenbin-yagura turret came from Nagahama. Hikone Castle, including construction of the omotegoten, which served as both the regional government seat and residence of the lord, as well as remodeling of older structures, was completed over roughly a twenty-year period, in 1622.

During the Meiji Period, when the early Ordinance for Disposal of Castles was promulgated, this castle escaped harm. Its castle tower, tsuke-yagura connecting tower, and the tamon-yagura turret are National Treasures. Many other buildings on the grounds have been named Important Cultural Properties by the National Government.

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