Monday, 21 October. Despite a rainy morning, we decided to visit the Hikone Castle. The four of us left about 11:00 and had lunch in an Italian restaurant in Kamashina, where we had to change trains. The train took us around the south end of Lake Biwa and up the east side to Hikone. We took a taxi to the castle entrance, arriving about 2:00. The rain had stopped and the sky was clearing.

As we started to cross the bridge over the castle moat, we (Jane in particular) were warmly greeted by a strange old man in costume. (More on him later.) We started our tour in the castle museum. The museum building is actually a replica of the palace of the castle's ruling lord (daimyo). In addition to the exhibition areas, it has rooms of the living quarters, a tea ceremony room, and a beautiful small garden. It also has the palace's original 17th century noh stage. (Noh is an old form of drama in which the actors hold masks in front of their faces.) The exhibits included samurai arms and armor, noh masks, musical instruments, beautiful folding screens, tableware and tea implements, and much more. This was the most interesting museum we saw in Japan, and one of the few that had adequate signs and brochures for English-speaking visitors.

Samurai armor

Folding screen  with woven reed panels

Noh mask

The main tower of the castle sits on the top of a high hill, and we had a long, steep climb to reach it. On the way up we crossed a unique wooden bridge and passed through a wide fortified gate, then under a large guard-house, before finally reaching the level of the main tower. This is one of only a dozen Japanese castle towers that is original (1622) and not a reconstruction. It is one of only four castles designated as a National Treasure.

There was a line of people waiting to go up into the tower. We had to leave our shoes at the entrance, of course, and it was very uncomfortable climbing up the steep steps (almost ladders) because they had been covered with sharp-edged metal treads to protect them. Worse yet, there was two-way traffic on the narrow steps.

Hikone Castle

Jane at bridge to Castle

View from 3rd level of Castle

There were three levels in the tower. Jane made it to the second level, but had to stop there because the steps were too much for her knees. Kyoko and I made it to the top where there was a nice view of the city, Lake Biwa, and the mountains. But the view was almost as good from the second level where Jane and Tom waited for us. Going down the steep steps was even harder than going up. Many people, including Jane, turned backwards and went down as you would on a ladder.

Structural beams of Hikone Castle

As we were leaving, we noticed that the "beams" that supported each floor of the tower were actually tree trunks, and from very crooked trees. As a result, every piece of wood had to be specially measured and cut for its particular place in the structure. What a carpenter's nightmare!

After exploring the rest of the area around the tower, we walked back to the entrance. As we crossed the moat where the old man had greeted us, there he was again. This time he came up to Jane and presented her with a small origami boat he had made from a large leaf.

It was already 4:30 and we had forgotten that the castle had a garden, too. We found that it was still open and rushed over to try to see it. The garden was built around a small lake. On the near side was a group of buildings, including a tea house. Tom and Kyoko decided to have tea there, and Jane stayed with them. I left to see the garden before it got too dark. It was a beautiful and peaceful setting.

Hikone Garden tearoom

View across lake in garden

A bridge on the lake

The castle's main tower was easily visible from almost every spot in the garden. I even came across the 17th century residence of a samurai. 

Hikone Castle above the garden

Swans in the lake

Samurai residence (17th century)

When I got back, the others were waiting, and we took a taxi back to the Hikone train station. We had dinner across the street from the station, then took the train back to Sakamoto, arriving about 7:30.