  is an edo period castle in the city of hikone, in shiga prefecture, japan. it is considered the most significant historical building in shiga. hikone is one of only 12 japanese castles with the original keep, and one of only four castles listed as a national treasure. ==history== hikone castle traces its origin to 1603 when ii naokatsu, son of the former daimyo ii naomasa, ordered its construction. the keep was originally built in 1575, as part of Åtsu castle, and was moved to hikone by the ii clan. other parts of the castle were moved from nagahama castle.nagahama castle hikone castle was completed in 1622. naokatsu's lands had been taken from him in the interval by the tokugawa shogunate, and when his brother naotake assumed control of the area around Åmi province, he was able to complete the castle by collecting stones from the former sawayama castle. when the meiji era began in 1868, many castles were scheduled to be dismantled, and only a request from the emperor himself, touring the area, kept hikone castle intact. today it remains one of the oldest original-construction castles in japan. the main keep of hikone castle was designated a national treasure by the ministry of education, science, sports and culture in 1952.http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/shiga/hikonejou.html hikone castle also has several parts which are designated important national cultural assets:hikone castle umaya (stable), tenbin yagura (balance scale turret), taikomon yagura (drum gate turret) and nishinomaru sanju yagura (west bailey three-story turret). ==gallery== file:castle_foundation.jpg|foundation of the main keep file:hikone_castle03s3200.jpg|tenbin yagura and rokabashi bridge file:hikonecastle18.jpg|sawaguchi tamon yagura file:hikone castle oldphoto omotemon.jpg|omotemon-gate and palace in 1876 file:genkyuen03s3000.jpg|view from genkyuen ==see also== *[[list of special places of scenic beauty, special historic sites and special natural monument
100_Fine_Castles_of_Japan Castles_in_Shiga_Prefecture History_museums_in_Japan Important_Cultural_Properties_of_Japan Museums_in_Shiga_Prefecture National_Treasures_of_Japan Special_Historic_Sites World_Heritage_Site_Tentative_list