Hikone Castle

Hikone Castle is in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, and was the seat of the Ii family for generations. Its keep is a National Treasure; the castles whose keeps hold that status are Matsue, Himeji, Hikone, Inuyama and Matsumoto. Hikone Castle has been confirmed as Japan's domestic nomination for World Heritage, and the city is working toward inscription.

Construction began in the time of Ii Naotsugu (later renamed Naokatsu). The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the start to 1603 and Hikone City to July 1, 1604, on Mount Hikone, about 2 kilometers west of Sawayama Castle. By the end of 1606 the main enclosure and keep were finished, and under his successor Naotaka the castle was largely complete in 1622. Work stopped for a time during the winter and summer Osaka campaigns. From the keep's completion to the whole castle's completion, about sixteen years passed.

What first draws attention in its history is that this keep is said to be not newly built but moved here from Otsu Castle. This is more than a legend. The present keep contains many old timbers, the layout of the building before the move is almost fully known, and an inked inscription dated 1606 (Keicho 11) has also been found. With this support, the relocation theory is largely accepted. When the original Otsu Castle was built, however, remains unclear.

The keep has three roofs and three stories and is not a large building. Its interest lies less in size than in how the roofs are put together. Curved karahafu gables and triangular chidori gables are placed in varying positions, and parts of the roofs are set at staggered heights, so the roofline is never uniform. Looking up at the third story, you see a railing and bell-shaped kato windows. This treatment departs from the form of early keeps and marks it as a keep from the height of the Momoyama period. An attached turret and a Tamon turret continue from the keep to form one enclosure, and the National Treasure designation covers these as two buildings.

Its upkeep is part of the story too. The roof was repaired in 1796 and reinforcement work was done in 1841. In 1878 it narrowly escaped demolition. According to Hikone City, stones and buildings from Sawayama, Otsu, Nagahama and Azuchi castles are said to have been reused in its construction. The castle site was designated a Special Historic Site on July 19, 1956. If you visit to compare the five National Treasure castles, each different in structure and origin, Hikone's keep, with its history of relocation from Otsu Castle, is one worth seeing in particular.