Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-15 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
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Our guide
Hikone Castle is an Edo-period castle, and it is considered the most significant historical site in Shiga Prefecture. It is one of only twelve castles in Japan that still have their original keep, and one of only five with buildings listed as National Treasures, like Matsumoto Castle. The site has been a National Historic Site since 1951.
The castle ticket also covers the Genkyū-en garden, so leave time for both. Last entry is at 16:30 and the keep and turrets close a little after, so do not leave the keep until the end of the day. Hikone Station is about 1.1 km away in a straight line. Also in Shiga, Azuchi Castle Ruins is the site of Oda Nobunaga's castle.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Hikone Castle November 2016 -02 — Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Hikone Castle 彦根城 - panoramio — Yoshio Kohara · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- Hikone Castle cour intérieure — Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Hikone Castle (2094996482) — Yamaguchi Yoshiaki from Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source · resized
- HikoneCastle9 — 投稿者が撮影 · Public domain · source · resized
- HikoneCastle20 — 投稿者が撮影 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- HikoneCastle2 — 投稿者が撮影 · Public domain · source · resized
- HikoneCastle18 — 2008/7/30 · Public domain · source · resized
- HikoneCastle17 — 投稿者が撮影 · Public domain · source · resized
What this place is
Hikone Castle (彦根城, Hikone-jō) is an Edo-period Japanese castle located in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is considered the most significant historical site in Shiga. The site has been protected as a National Historic Site since 1951. Hikone is one of only twelve castles in Japan with its original tenshu, and one of only five castles with buildings listed as National Treasures.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-15 · Hikone Castle: admission information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Castle
Nearby station
Nearby station: Hikone (Biwako Line), about 1.1 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Where to stay nearby
Hotels near Hikone Castle on Agoda
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