Els Slots

The Netherlands - 20-Sep-24 -

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 cannot be visited at the moment because of renovations, but fortunately, the exterior was intact in all its splendour (see main site photo). You may enter the three-storey watch tower at the back of the castle grounds and climb to the top.

Finally, the gardens are probably the highlight of the site. There are two here (plus the one attached to the palace) and they were meant as pleasure gardens for the feudal lords and their guests. They are large, sometimes almost looking like English landscape gardens with ponds and trees (it actually was modelled after a Chinese palace garden). I visited late in the morning and was unlucky with the position of the blazing sun, but there must be so many beautiful views to enjoy while strolling around. 

I spent 2 hours in total at the site, and it got me thinking that for me there is a minimum amount of time that makes a (future) WHS worthy. A WHS somehow has to be grandiose: not especially in size, but mostly in the amount of imagination and creativity that has gone into it – above and beyond what others have done before. Hikone Castle surely fits that bill.

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Frederik Dawson

Netherlands - 26-Mar-12 -

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 different, the castle is quite symbolic of what authority should be in more peaceful time. Sadly, that its original residence quarter were demolished, but the modern reconstruction as the museum is quite fine and make the castle more completed. The castle garden, Genkyuen, is also very nice and worthwhile for extra walk to see. For me, Hikone Castle is a lovely place to visit, it does not process any wow factors like Himeji does, but like the fine garden strolling.

However, to be listed as another World Heritage Site is quite questionable as Himeji Castle is already represented this kind of architecture. If Hikone is going to be represent the castle that built in peaceful time, then what is special of Hikone compared to other castles like Kochi. Moreover, there are many better examples like Matsumoto for perfect main tower or Kanazawa for outstanding castle garden. Hikone Should be listed but only as an extension of Himeji Castle to represent overall style of Japanese Castle which in opinion is much more reasonable. Another thing needs to be mentioned is Hikone Castle is a very good example of unique Japanese cute Kawaii pop culture with its mascot, Hikonyan, a big white cat with samurai hat, the castle visitors, or actually maybe Hikonyan fan club, mainly come to see this cat dancing and playing in castle ground, a very strange tourism phenomenon but very cute!