- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1603 · 17th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Shiga Prefecture, Japan
- Commissioned by
- Ii Naokatsu
- Coordinates
- 35.2764°, 136.2517°
History
After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 Tokugawa Ieyasu gave this land to his loyal general Ii Naomasa. After Naomasa's death his son Naokatsu began building a new castle on Konki hill in 1603, with many feudal lords contributing labour; materials from dismantled strongholds nearby were also reused. The keep was finished a few years later and the whole complex in 1622. The Ii ruled Hikone throughout the Edo period; the most famous of them, Ii Naosuke, signed the treaties with the West as the shogunate's chief minister and was assassinated in 1860. The castle survived the wave of demolitions in the Meiji era.
What to see
The three-storey keep delights with its varied roof gables and bell-shaped windows, and its original timber interiors survive. Visitors can also see the Tenbin Yagura tower straddling a narrow passage with a bridge, and the only surviving castle stable in Japan. At the foot of the castle lie the Genkyū-en garden with its pond and teahouse, and a museum of Ii family treasures.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1012374
Popularity: articles about this site in 27 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).