Hikone Castle (National Treasure Keep), Mascot Hikonyan & Lake Biwa

Category: National Treasure & Original Feudal Fortress | Location: 1-1 Konki-cho, Hikone, Shiga 522-0061 (15-minute walk from West Exit of JR Hikone Station on Biwako Line)

Completed in 1622 following two decades of meticulous labor by the esteemed Ii clan—one of the four premier guardian families serving the Tokugawa shogunate—Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture is an elite historic treasure, standing proudly as one of only five castles in all of Japan designated as a National Treasure (Kokuhou). Perched atop 50-meter Mount Konkiyama directly overlooking the serene freshwater expanse of Lake Biwa, its three-tiered wooden keep preserves its original 17th-century timber craftsmanship in pristine, authentic condition. The keep's architectural silhouette is celebrated for its graceful harmony of traditional gables, integrating curved Chinese "Karahafu" gables, triangular "Irimoya-hafu" rooflines, and ornate Zen bell-shaped windows ("Kato-mado") framing panoramic lakeside vistas. Inside, adventurous visitors climb dramatically steep wooden stairs angled at a rigorous 62-degree incline—deliberately engineered to disadvantage encroaching samurai attackers—while examining hidden gun and arrow loop apertures (Sama) concealed behind thick plaster walls. Nestled beneath the castle hill lies Genkyuen, an exquisite 17th-century feudal lord’s stroll garden modeled after the Tang Dynasty imperial palace grounds, centered around a crystalline pond reflecting the hilltop keep with tea tastings served inside the historic Hosho-dai pavilion. Today, Hikone Castle is equally adored across Japan as the home of "Hikonyan"—the delightfully charismatic white feline mascot wearing the red-and-gold horned samurai helmet of the Ii clan, who performs daily stage appearances.