Hikone Castle Museum

The Omote-goden, which was the government office of the Hikone domain, has been reconstructed as a history museum. The exhibits include about 45,000 arts, crafts, and historical materials such as armor, swords, Noh tools, tea ceremony utensils, furnishings, and old documents of the Ii family.

The Omote-goden was the place where the lords of the Hikone domain conducted their political affairs and daily life, and this space has been restored. Inside the museum, furniture, furnishings, and armaments used in Omote-goden are on display, offering a glimpse of life in those days.

The museum also has a Noh stage where Noh and Kyogen performances are held. The Noh stage is also a partial reproduction of the remains of Hikone Castle, allowing visitors to enjoy performances on this historical stage.

Hikone Castle Museum is a history museum that exhibits approximately 20,000 pieces of art and historical materials.

The site is the former Omote-goden of Hikone Castle, which was once the seat of government of the Hikone domain during the Edo period, and there was controversy regarding its preservation and the construction of a history museum. 1983 preliminary excavations began and the remains of the Omote-goden of Hikone Castle were confirmed to match an old map. A full excavation survey was also conducted, which confirmed the presence of the remains of a Noh stage and a resonance box.

Based on the results of these investigations, the pros and cons of the construction of the museum were discussed, and in 1984 the Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties approved the construction of the museum on the Omote Goten site. The building was restored at a cost of approximately 2.7 billion yen, and architect Masao Hayakawa designed the restoration. The Noh stage was relocated from Iwate Prefecture, and the opening of the Noh stage was held at the completion ceremony in 1987.

Major Collections

The Hikone Castle Museum has taken over the collection of the Ii Art Museum, which was closed, and exhibits approximately 20,000 works of art and historical materials. The museum’s collection includes artifacts of the Ii family and old documents related to the Hikone domain, such as armor, swords and armors, paintings, Noh costumes, tea ceremony utensils, and Japanese musical instruments.

National Treasure

Painting of customs and manners on gold on paper (Hikone Byobu)

Important Cultural Property (National Designation)

Writing Box in maki-e lacquer
Tachi Sword, Kokumune 2nd name
Tachi Sword “Kokimune” (Hoki)
Documents of the Ii Family of the Hikone Domain (27,800 pieces)

Garden

The garden is constructed as a pond garden, with a pond at the center. The view from the “Gozano-oma,” the living room of the lord of the domain, was emphasized, and there is a walking path in the garden.

Since this garden is not mentioned in any old illustrated maps of the old days, it is assumed to have been built in the late Edo period.

During the restoration work, excavations were conducted and the scale of the pond was determined, but details of the garden stones and the hill were not left underground, and the size of the hill was also unknown. Therefore, the garden stones and hill were reconstructed based on an old picture map.

However, the tea ceremony room “Fushai-an” and the nightingale, which was located at the left end of the hill, have not been reconstructed. A tea ceremony room has been set up near the Noh stage, where visitors can enjoy tea and seasonal sweets in a relaxed atmosphere with a close view of the historic Noh stage.