Hikone-jô is one of the icons of Shiga Prefecture, and one of only five castles in Japan designated as National Treasures. Constructed in 1622 over the course of 20 years, the castle stands atop a bluff overlooking the pass from Aichi and Gifu Prefectures into Shiga; an important choke point for any military force moving towards Kyoto from the East. Most notably, the castle keep overlooks Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan.

For visitors: 10.

At the mention of this castle being a National Treasure, you should already be wanting to go. Further more, it is one of only a few castles in Japan that were not taken down during the Meiji Restoration in 1868, a time when the new government removed almost all of the castles across the archipelago. Including the castle tower, many of the original walls and support structures are still standing. Men in samurai-style armor are available to take guests on rikisha tours around the lower castle grounds while another group of armor-clad men are available to pose with for a feudal lord-style photo. After paying the entrance fee to get in, enjoy a steep climb to the top of bluff which wraps around and across a wooden bridge into the castle tower. The castle is a popular travel destination for many in Japan, but it can get particularly busy during Japan’s annual travel seasons. After climbing the tower keep, make your way down to the gardens and villa below, and if you’re lucky, maybe you can watch a high school baseball game taking place at the sports grounds next door. The castle museum requires an additional ticket, but it will give you access to archived weapons, documents, and a multilingual tour of the castle’s history. At some point, you may even get the chance to get a photo taken with the city’s extremely popular mascot, Hikonyan, a white cat wearing a red kabuto (samurai helmet).

Group photo with people in samurai armor. The cat character on the back of the lady’s shirt is Hikonyan, the castle’s mascot, and a very popular mascot across Japan.