Hikone Cats and Castles

What?
Hikone (彦根) is a medium sized, sleepy town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa (琵琶湖), a freshwater lake and 13th oldest lake in the world. It can boast one of only five castles designated as national treasure (the others being Himeji, Matsumoto, Inuyama and Matsue). Around the castle is the somewhat famous Genkyuen Garden (玄宮園) and a pleasant castle town-like district. From Hikone you can also board a ferry that tours Takeshima (多景島) and Chikubushima (竹生島), two of only three islands in the lake. Other than that, Hikone has a series of shrines and temples of which Ryotanji Temple (龍潭寺) is worth remembering. And of course there is its famous cat mascot Hikonyan!
Where?
Hikone is located quite centrally in Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県) and can be reached from Osaka (大阪) and Kyōto (京都) in one straight line. Also from Nagoya (名古屋) you can reach the town easily. For JR-pass holders , the Kodama Shinkansen stops at Hikone Station (彦根駅) and will save you around 15 minutes compared to a special rapid service train.
URL
Japan Guide Outline Visit Hikone Ohmi Marine (JP)

Hikone is famous for its cat.
I mean castle. I mean, its mascot cat Hikonyan is most definitely more famous than its castle. But nonetheless, let’s agree that Hikone is famous for its castle. Or should I say castles?

In fact, Hikone Castle is actually a second hand structure. It was built using the material from Sawayama Castle, just a few kilometers next door. The tourist office will still promote the Sawayama Castle ruins in a way, but even though I realize how impressive ruins can be (just look at the Takatori or Nagoya ruins), there’s nothing left to be impressed about.
That is not to say you shouldn’t head over there. In fact, the hike up the hill where the castle used to stand starts right behind one of the most authentic temples I have ever been too. The Ryotanji Temple is just one in a series of temples and shrines at the foot of the tiny Mount Futoh. It’s hidden behind a dark and slightly overgrown path. The gate is very sober yet very impressive. The arrows that lead you to the so called ruins of Sawayama castle are more visible than the entrance of the temple which was barely lit when I visited. I duly paid the required 400 yen to the half sleeping monk and treaded carefully on the floorboards. This was useless, because however much care I took in not making any noise, the floor squeaked without mercy underneath my feet. The first impressive feature that I noticed were the beautifully decorated sliding doors. These were apparently made by a student of Matsuo Basho. On the other side of the hallway, a solemn flat rock garden demanded full attention. Sand and stones was all the monks apparently needed to impress. But that would do injustice to the garden on the backside which was carefully designed to depict a cliff/waterfall and pond in a very small space. Truly magnificent. I sat myself down for 20 minutes just because I could. In between the gardens was a plethora of daruma’s big and small, some strange and downright scary statues, memorabilia such as a samurai costume and a whole lot of mysterious photographs. When I left the temple I was silent because I was both truly mesmerized by its beauty as flabbergasted by its oddity.

But back to the famous cat. I mean castle!
While you can safely ignore the Sawayama Castle ruins, visiting Hikone Castle is a must. Together with four other castles it is designated as national treasure for its authenticity, and while it does not have the grand keeps of Matsumoto or Himeji, it can boast a very complete picture of how a castle used to be.
The approach from any side of Hikone Castle is impressive, but I would recommend going with the flow and take the main entrance (Omotemon Gate). Outside of the castle area there are already a few teasers like the stables and a reconstructed gate. Once beyond the ticket gate, broad winding and turning steps take you past picturesque bridges and massive gates. After a little climbing the beautiful keep rises in front of you. Inside the keep there is nothing to see but the authentic architectural beauty. Despite the vicinity of the Biwa Lake and the Suzuka mountain range, the views from the top are a bit disappointing though.

Before entering the Ryotanji Temple.

A heap of daruma!!

Hikone's Castle keep.

The sober building in the Nishinomaru Bailey.

Leaving the main keep you should not go back from where you came, but keep going towards the backside of the castle. Few people venture here but wrongfully so. There is the Nishinomaru Bailey with a turret which offers better views over Biwa lake, and a series of stairs and massive walls next to the moat. After a quick loop through the northernmost plum tree patch, exit the castle grounds at the Kuromon Gate. From here you can peacefully loop back to the main entrance around the moat. The neighboring Genkyuen Garden is far from a special garden (especially after visiting Ryotanji Temple), was it not for the great views it can offer of the castle. You will also pass the boarding point of the small boats that circle the castle following its moat. I was a minute too late, but it seemed peaceful and worth the while.

Instead of turning back to the main entrance or station, you could also walk even further toward the small Hikone harbor on Lake Biwa’s shore. I boarded a ferry here to visit the Chikubushima Island which despite its very small size harbors some very interesting buildings. Buddhism and Shintoism are interwoven impressively on the steep slopes of the rocky island. Especially the colorful Karamon temple building that flows into the ancient “corridor of boat” walkway of the shrine are impressive. There’s also some fun to be had while throwing small plates through a torii. Or with my talent of throwing things, make the attempt. The boat leaves the island again after a little more than an hour which is more than sufficient. This little side trip to Chikubu Island was better than expected, but with 3000 yen round trip fare plus entrance fee to the islands buildings it does become a little expensive.

But no. Nothing negative here. Hikone can even boast with what I think is the best bakery in Japan: Pomme d’Amour. At lunch time you can order some delicious quiche with unlimited complimentary bread supply! Delicious!

And what was I forgetting?
Oh yeah! Hikonyan is one awesome mascot. On par with Kumamon, no doubt!!