Initially springing up as a castle town of Hikone Domain in the Edo period, Hikone City is blessed with a rich natural environment and deep heritage, and it continues to develop as a core city in the northeastern region of Lake Biwa to this day. Hikone is home to the national treasure Hikone Castle, which is also a World Heritage Site on par with Himeji Castle, and is acknowledged by locals as a symbol of their city. The city’s highly-popular mascot is “Hikonyan,” a cat wearing a kabuto helmet on its head.

Train

・From Tokyo
From JR Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Shinkansen and get off at Maibara Station, then transfer to the JR Biwako Line and get off at Hikone Station.
・From Nagoya
From JR Nagoya Station, take the Tokaido Shinkansen, get off at Maibara Station, then transfer to the JR Biwako Line, and get off at Hikone Station.

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Bus

Kokoku Bus is a convenient way of getting around Hikone City.

Top Attractions

Hikone City has many attractive tourist spots, including the national treasure Hikone Castle. Yume Kyobashi Castle Road, located near Hikone Castle, is a nostalgic townscape where you will feel as if you've been transported back in time to a castle town of the Edo Period while still being able to enjoy dining and shopping at the many restaurants and souvenir stores that now line the street. Yonbancho Square is a quaint shopping street reminiscent of the streets of the Taisho Era (1912-1926).

Hikone Castle／彦根城（Shiga）

• Hikone
• Shiga
• Gardens
• Castles
• Historical Sites

Hikone Castle was the residence of the Ii family, feudal lords who held important positions in the Edo shogunate and supported the reign of the Tokugawa family. In 1604, by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, c...

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