Hikone Castle

Map of Hikone Castle, Japan	Outer Moat - Hikone Castle	Southerneastern wall and moat, Hikone Castle	EasternTurret, Hikone Castle
Hikone Castle - Constructed 1603-1622	The southern bridge of Hikone Castle	Hikone Castle is one of four Japanese castles designated as a National Treasure	Hikone, Himeji, Matsumoto and Inuyama Castles are the four Japanese castles designated National Treasures
Hikone Castle was spared by the Emperor in the 19th Century when many other Japanese castles were dismantled	Only 12 Japanese castles have survived into the modern era. Most the others, like Osaka & Nagoya, are concrete reconstructions	Sawaguchi Tamon Yagura - southern gate	Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the construction of Hikone Castle
Outer moat, Hikone Castle	A modern road now passes through this gate to enter the castle	Sawaguchi Tamon Yagura	Ninomaru Sawaguchitamon-yagura Turret, an Important National Cultural Property
Ninomaru Sawaguchitamon-yagura Turret, Hikone Castle	Directional signs, Hikone	Model of the inner portion of Hikone Castle	Inner Moat, Hikone Castle
Part of the stable, Hikone Castle	History of Hikone Castle	Stone Wall, Hikone Castle	Nobori-Ishigaki Stone Wall, Hikone Castle
Footbridge across the Inner Moat, Hikone Castle	The Entrance to Hikone Castle	Pathway, Hikone Castle	Path leading up the hill to the keep of Hikone Castle
Tenbin-yagura (Balance Scale Turret), Hikone Castle	The "corridor bridge" can be demolished by defenders in case the enemy penetrates this far into the castle	Rokabashi Bridge leading to the inner courtyard of Hikone Castle	Balance Scale Turret
Balance Scale Turret	Tenbin Yagura - Balace Scale Turret, Hikone Castle	The symmetrical turrets resemble a balance scale, hence the Japanese name Tenbin-yagura	Tenbin Yagura - Balace Scale Turret, Hikone Castle
2nd to last gate before the Keep - Hikone Castle	Crossing the bridge through the Tenbin Yagura, Hikone Castle	The gate was originally part of an older castle at Nagahama	Hikone Castle
Tenbin Yagura - Balace Scale Turret	Tenbin Yagura - Balace Scale Turret	View of the tree-covered hills surrounding Hikone Castle	Tenbin Yagura - Balace Scale Turret
The gate between the Balace Scale Turrets	Solid wooden door, Hikone Castle	Roof detail, Hikone Castle	Inside the Balance Scale Turret gate
View of Hikone from the Balace Scale Turret	The Corridor Bridge from the gallery above the gate	Walkway leading up to the final gate	Inner wall, Hikone Castle
Jiho-sho, the early 19th C. bell which was sounded 5 times a day	Taiko-Mon-Yagura (Drum Tower)	Taiko-Mon-Yagura (Drum Tower)	Taikomon Yagura (Drum Gate Turret) Hikone Castle
The last gate before entering the courtyard in front of the keep	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Elaborate 3-story keep, Hikone Castle
400-year-old keep, Hikone Castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Southeast side of Hikone Castle's three-story keep	Autumn Colors, Hikone Castle
Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Gables of the southwest side of Hikone's keep	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle
Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Hikone Castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle
Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Several buildings in the castle yard were demolished in the 1870's	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Massive roots of an ancient tree, Hikone Castle
View of Lake Biwa from the castle yard, Hikone Castle	View looking up Hikone's Main Street towards the JR Station	View of the town of Hikone from the castle	Looking north from the castle
Looking north from the castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Tenshu - the Main Keep of Hikone Castle	Original wooden structure of inside the keep
Original wooden structure of inside the keep	Lord of Hikone Castle	Inside the keep, Hikone Castle	Inside the keep, Hikone Castle
Gabled roof from inside the keep, Hikone Castle	Hikone Castle with the town and Lake Biwa	The moats of Hikone Castle appear to have once formed a harbor	Iron plated door to the keep, Hikone Castle
Fortified door to the keep, Hikone Castle	The Keep of Hikone Castle	The Keep of Hikone Castle	The Keep of Hikone Castle
The Keep of Hikone Castle	The Keep of Hikone Castle	The Keep of Hikone Castle	The Keep of Hikone Castle
The Keep of Hikone Castle	Nishinomaru Sanju Yagura (West Fort Wing Three-story Turret)	West Fort Wing Turret, an Important Cultural Asset	West Fort Wing Turret, an Important Cultural Asset,Hikone Castle
Sun illuminating a green Japanese maple	Park-like grounds of Hikone Castle	Early autumn, Hikone Castle	The small northern gate, Hikone Castle
Still waters of the moat, Hikone Castle	One of the turrets on the outer wall, Hikone Castle	Walking along the outer moat, Hikone Castle	Walls of the wide outer moat, Hikone Castle
Road sign - Hikone-jo Castle