Hikone Castle 彦根城
Hikone, Japan
Hikone Castle is a wooden Japanese castle and a National Treasure of Japan. Commissioned by Ii Naokatsu in 1603, this Special Historic Site is part of the 100 Fine Castles of Japan. It is also one of the 82 most looked-up sights in Japan on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
The site is 315 km from Tokyo. The nearest airports are Nagoya Airport, 61 km away, and Chubu Centrair International Airport, 69 km away. Weather in the area changes throughout the year. July and August are the warmest months with daily highs of about 30 °C, though July is also the wettest month with about 257 mm of rain and 20 rainy days. January is the coldest month, with highs of 6 °C and lows of 0 °C. In the spring, April has highs of 17 °C and 13 rainy days, while May has highs of 21 °C and 175 mm of rain. During the autumn, October has highs of 20 °C and 12 rainy days.
The castle is located near several other sites, such as Lake Biwa (15.8 km) and Azuchi Castle (16.8 km). Other nearby locations include Enryaku-ji (43.8 km), Mount Hiei (44.2 km), and Ginkaku-ji (49.7 km). Admission costs ¥800, which includes entry to Genkyu-en.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 30 °C. The wettest is July, with about 257 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 7 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| Average low, °C | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| Rainfall, mm | 134 | 119 | 142 | 131 | 175 | 229 | 257 | 150 | 207 | 139 | 111 | 120 |
| Rainy days | 18 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 19 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
