Hikone
Discover Hikone
Hikone (彦根) is a city of 113,000 people (2016) at the eastern edge of Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture, central Japan. Hikone is on the Tokaido Main Line (Biwako Line in Hikone) between Osaka and Tokyo and makes an interesting stopover. Shinkaisoku rapid trains take 50 min (¥1110) from Kyoto and 80 min (¥1890) from Osaka. The Shinkansen does not stop at Hikone, but the nearest Shinkansen station Maibara is just one local train stop away.
Taste of Hikone...
The road from the station to the castle is lined with an array of restaurants and souvenir shops. The Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road also has a number of restaurants. Hikone is home to JCMU, the Japanese Center for Michigan Universities. If you're interested in meeting some foreigners studying Japanese, head down to Sugimotos (a small sushi shop by Hikone Castle Hotel). Every Wednesday around 21:00 it becomes a bar for students and foreigners in the Shiga area. In southern Hikone you will find Yab's Sports bar, which has become a prevalent stop for JCMU students.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsHikone is on the Tokaido Main Line (Biwako Line in Hikone) between Osaka and Tokyo and makes an interesting stopover. Shinkaisoku rapid trains take 50 min (¥1110) from Kyoto and 80 min (¥1890) from Osaka. The Shinkansen does not stop at Hikone, but the nearest Shinkansen station Maibara is just one local train stop away. Ferries connect Hikone to the islands of Chikubu and Takeshima in Lake Biwa. Hikone is an exit on the Meishin Expressway (toll) between Nagoya and Osaka. National Route 8 (Niigata-Kyoto) runs through the city. National Route 306 from Mie Prefecture ends here. Hikone Castle and Genkyu-en Garden are a 15- to 20-minute walk along the main road from Hikone Station. Taking the JR regular (non-express) train to the next stop, along the Biwako-sen, you will stop at Minami-Hikone. Get off at this stop and there is VivaCity, a large shopping complex that is the only mall in Hikone. There are many shops, some restaurants, karaoke, and a movie theatre here....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Hikone Castle and Genkyu-en Garden are a 15- to 20-minute walk along the main road from Hikone Station. Taking the JR regular (non-express) train to the next stop, along the Biwako-sen, you will stop at Minami-Hikone. Get off at this stop and there is VivaCity, a large shopping complex that is the only mall in Hikone. There are many shops, some restaurants, karaoke, and a movie theatre here. On many Sundays at 13:00 and 15:00 there are live performances in the central atrium. Fans of traditional Japan will enjoy the Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road running from the southwest side of the castle park, with a number of souvenir shops and craft shops located in traditional-style wooden buildings. Fans of modern Japanese craziness, on the other hand, may enjoy all sorts of souvenirs plastered with the mug of Hiko-nyan (ひこにゃん), Hikone City's official samurai-helmeted cat mascot.
Money & Budget
Taking the JR regular (non-express) train to the next stop, along the Biwako-sen, you will stop at Minami-Hikone. Get off at this stop and there is VivaCity, a large shopping complex that is the only mall in Hikone. There are many shops, some restaurants, karaoke, and a movie theatre here. On many Sundays at 13:00 and 15:00 there are live performances in the central atrium. Fans of traditional Japan will enjoy the Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road running from the southwest side of the castle park, with a number of souvenir shops and craft shops located in traditional-style wooden buildings. Fans of modern Japanese craziness, on the other hand, may enjoy all sorts of souvenirs plastered with the mug of Hiko-nyan (ひこにゃん), Hikone City's official samurai-helmeted cat mascot.