Hikone-Jo

We expect Hikone Castle to be nominated in 2027, it has already requested a preliminary assessment. It is one of the few items left on Japan’s Tentative List, where it has lingered since 1992. At the moment of writing, it has a perfect 100% recommendation score by our community members. So my hopes were up for my visit, also because I hadn’t been to a classical Japanese site during this trip yet.

At the ticket counter, it’s worth it to get the most extensive ticket, that covers palace museum, castle and gardens. It is the combination of these 3 elements that gives Hikone-Jo an edge over similar Japanese castles. You cannot see the iconic donjon from afar (at least not when approaching from the train station), but what you will notice is the extent of the fortifications. There are two moats, still filled with water. Walls are steep and gates are strategically placed. 

The palace museum starts with a few exhibition rooms (one with fine samurai armor). It then transforms into a reconstruction of the palace as it would have been when the daimyo (feudal lord, from the hereditary Li clan) lived here. It’s an endless series of tatami rooms, which resemble those countless rooms in European palaces. From his living quarters, he could sit and contemplate looking out over a picture-perfect little garden (see lower photo).

A steep uphill walk then follows to the donjon (castle keep) and the main towers. The interior of the donjon …

Currently, there are three Japanese castles listed as World Heritage Site, the magnificent Himeji Castle, the lavish Nijo Castle of Kyoto, and the unique Ryukyuan Shuri Castle in Okinawa, Hikone Castle is on the tentative list since 1992 that its status is becoming uncertain; however the recent move of Kamakura, another long pending site on the tentative list, I am suspecting that the fate of Hikone is going to be revived soon. In my idea, the perfect preserved Japanese castle should have an original main tower, a residence quarter and a castle garden. Himeji Castle is the place that has all thing I mentioned, while Nijo Castle has perfect residence and gardens, its main tower was lost long time ago. Some famous castles only have main tower like Matsumoto, Hirosaki and Matsue, some only with gardens and turrets like Kanazawa and Edo. In case of Hikone Castle, it has the original wooden main tower which is quite lovely with beautiful multi-styles roof gables and gilded decoration, a piece of art, and the very fine castle gardens. Another plus of Hikone which similar to Himeji is that the labyrinth fortification layout is well preserved and noticeable.

Compared to Himeji, Hikone is very much smaller and inferior in almost every sense; only the decoration art and gardens are more superior to Himiji. The biggest contrast of these two castles are the location and usage, while Himeji is located on strategic point, many defensive elements for war are required, Hikone is totally …