Historic Castles and Ruins

Explore the architectural evolution of Shiga and Kyoto through this selection of feudal strongholds and imperial retreats. This collection includes Hikone Castle, one of Japan's five national treasure castles with its original keep, and the ruins of Azuchi Castle, the former seat of Oda Nobunaga. The list also features the UNESCO-listed Enryakuji Temple complex on Mount Hiei and the 17th-century Shugakuin Imperial Villa, showcasing the transition from military fortifications to refined Edo-period aesthetics.

Historic Castles and Ruins — Harita

Daderot / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Shugakuin Imperial Villa

This astonishing villa, which dates back to the 17th century, is a former estate of the Japanese emperor.

2008/7/30 / Public domain

B

Hikone castle

Hikone Castle is an Edo-period Japanese castle located in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

C

Enryakuji Temple

Founded in 788 by Saicho, this UNESCO World Heritage site is the headquarters of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism. Located on Mount Hiei, the expansive temple complex served as a powerful monastic center for centuries.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

D

Konpon Chu-do

The National Treasure-designated main hall of Enryakuji Temple. It houses the "Inextinguishable Dharma Lamp," which has reportedly burned for over 1,200 years since the temple's founding by Saicho.

投稿者がファイル作成 / Public domain

E

Minakuchi Castle

Minakuchi Castle, is a hirashiro-style Japanese castle located in the former town of Minakuchi, in the city of Kōka, Shiga Prefecture,…

投稿者が撮影 / CC BY 3.0

F

Minakuchi-Okayama Castle Site

Minakuchi Okayama Castle was a Sengoku period Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Kōka, Shiga Prefecture, in the Kansai…

G

安土城跡

The ruins of Oda Nobunaga’s 16th-century fortress, which revolutionized Japanese castle architecture with its massive seven-story keep. Today, only the extensive stone foundations and reconstructed gate remain on the hill overlooking Lake Biwa.

H

長浜城

Originally built in 1573 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, this lakeside castle was reconstructed in 1983. It now serves as a history museum detailing the Sengoku period and the castle's role in the unification of Japan.

I

佐和山城

Once the formidable seat of Ishida Mitsunari, this mountain castle was dismantled after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Much of its stone and timber was repurposed to construct the nearby Hikone Castle.