I arrive in Hikone late in the morning to visit the castle, one of the 12 with a donjon still intact. It is also one of the 5 castles listed as National Treasures of Japan (the others being: Himeji, Matsue, Inuyama, and Matsumoto). It is located on Mount Konki and overlooks the city.
Everyone walks inside wearing socks; fortunately, it’s not very cold. However, the stairs ladders are a bit slippery!
Down below, I also visit Genkyu-en Garden, arranged around a pond. Two islets and a few wooden bridges are there to enhance the stroll.
I take the train around 2pm and stop at Omi-Hachiman. I cross the city from end to end to reach the top of Mount Hachiman. As night is approaching, I take the cable car to save tens of minutes. From the top, there are beautiful views of lake Biwa and the surrounding plain, but clouds cover mounts Horai and Bunagatake. Back down below, I wander along the canal that runs through the old neighborhoods. It’s completely dark when I head back to the station.
