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Hikone

Hikone is known for the famous Hikone Castle, one of the twelve original castles in Japan.

Hikone

Hikone is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is on the eastern shore of the Lake Biwa. Hikone's most famous historical site is Hikone Castle. Its construction was begun in 1603 by Ii Naokatsu, son of the former lord, Ii Naomasa, but was not completed until 1622. Naokatsu's lands had been taken from him in the interval by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and when his brother Naotake assumed control of Omi Province, he was able to complete the castle by collecting stones from the former Sawayama Castle.

When the Meiji period began in 1868, many castles were scheduled to be dismantled and only a request from the Emperor Meiji himself, touring the area, kept Hikone Castle intact. Today it remains one of the oldest original- construction castles in Japan. The Chosenjin Kaido and the Nakasendo were passed through Hikone. The Nakasendo was one of the most important trading routes during the Edo period, and is home to two former post stations, Toriimoto Post Town and Takamiya Post Town.

Mt. Sawa, about one kilometer east of Hikone Castle, is where the castle of Ishida Mitsunari, the leader who lost the Battle of Sekigahara, is located. At the mountain foot, you can visit such historical spots as Ryotanji Temple known for its gardens, and Ohora Bensaiten, as well as temples and shrines associated with the Ii family; also there is Tenneiji Temple that enshrines the statue of Gohyakurakan. Hikone makes an easy and pleasant 3-6 hour stop-over on a trip between Tokyo and Kyoto or a side trip from Kyoto.