eigo

Sightseeing

HIKONE
　　Hikone is the old castle town,once a stagingpoint on the TokaidoHighway
　 and after the building of the castle the seat of the Ii family,who fought on the side
　of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara..
　At the foot of the castle stands the residence of the Ii family(Rakuraku-en)
　built in 1677,and its garden(Genkyu-en).
　In the adjoining Konki Park is a bronze statue of Naosuke,who was instrumental
　in opening Japan to trade.
　
　　Lake Biwa is the Japan's largest lake.
　At Matsubara lies Hikone Beach.

　　On Mount Ohara can be found the Ryotan-ji Temple,with a beautiful Zen garden,
　and the Seiryoji Temple,with the tombs of the Ii family.

PHOTOGRAPH1　　　Genkyu-en.　 UmoregiResidence
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Bronze statue of Naosuke.　 Hikone Castle Museum
PHOTOGRAPH2　　　LakeBiwa.　 Japan Center For Michigan Universities
PHOTOGRAPH3　　　Ryotan-ji Temple.　　 Seiryoji-temple

HIKONE CASTLE
　Hikone Castle,1km W of the station,consists of a three-story main tower
and the triple moat and many towers.

　The view of the Castle by moonlight is particularly fine.
PHOTOGRAPH4　　　Hikone-jo-Tensyukaku.　　 Sawaguchi-tamon-Yagura.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tenbin-Yagura.　　 Taikomon-Yagura.　

PHOTOGRAPH5 　　Beautiful Moat. 　Otemon-hashi.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Hikone-City.　　 Hikone-jo2

TAGA SHRINE
　SE of Hikone is the Taga Shrine,dedicated to the divine couple Izanagi and
　Izanami.

　It is believed to be as old as the Ise Shrines in the Kinkiregion.　

PHOTOGRAPH6 　　Taga-Shrine