Hikone is a castle town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. Its main draw is Hikone Castle, one of only twelve original castles remaining in Japan and one of just four designated as National Treasures — alongside Matsumoto, Inuyama, and Himeji. Dating from 1622, the castle is compact but beautifully preserved, and the grounds are spectacular during cherry blossom season.
The southwestern approach to the castle has been redeveloped into Yume-Kyōbashi Castle Road, a street of shops and restaurants built in Edo-period style. It is touristy but pleasant. The castle grounds also include Genkyu-en, a lovely landscape garden modelled on the famous gardens of Kyoto. North of the castle, the Matsubara Shimoyashiki Gardens offer a quieter lakeside alternative.
On the northern outskirts of town, Toriimoto is one of the best-preserved post towns on the old Nakasendō highway — worth the short detour for its intact Edo-period streetscape. The ruins of Sawayama Castle, once the stronghold of Ishida Mitsunari before the Battle of Sekigahara, sit on a forested ridge above the city.
In late August, Hikone hosts the Japan International Birdman Rally (Toriningen), one of Japan's more eccentric events — competitors launch themselves from a platform over Lake Biwa in home-built flying machines and gliders.