Hikone Castle

Hikone was built between 1603 and 1622 for the Ii family and its keep is one of only five in Japan designated national treasures. It is small - three storeys - but the detail is unusually rich: gables of three different types on one roof, bell-shaped windows and a hidden upper floor. It was also built cheaply in a specific sense, since the Tokugawa peace meant castles were being dismantled: the keep came from Otsu Castle, a gate from Sawayama, and other elements from elsewhere, moved and re-erected here. Nearly the whole complex survives, including the stables, which is rare. Genkyuen, a garden of 1677 below the walls, borrows the keep as its backdrop. The castle escaped Meiji demolition reportedly after the emperor passed through and intervened. Hikone's mascot, a cat in a samurai helmet, appears at set times and draws its own crowd.

What you actually see

• A national treasure keep - one of five, small but unusually rich in roof detail.
• Reused parts - a keep from Otsu, a gate from Sawayama, moved and re-erected.
• A complete complex - walls, gates and the rare surviving stables.
• Genkyuen - a 1677 garden below the walls with the keep as borrowed scenery.

When to go

April for cherry along the moat. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

The keep stairs are extremely steep, close to ladders, and there is no lift. Entry and garden are ticketed separately. Blossom weekends queue at the keep door. The interior is bare timber with little display.

Nearby

Lake Biwa is west; Nagahama is north along the shore.