Hikone Castle Museum — Attraction in Hikone

The Hikone Castle Museum is a beautifully preserved window into Japan’s Edo-period heritage, located right at the foot of the castle. Once part of the feudal lord’s residence, the museum offers not just artifacts but also an experience of walking through reconstructed palace rooms, tatami floors, sliding doors, and elegant architecture that reflect the lifestyle of the Ii clan.

Inside, you’ll find an impressive collection of samurai armor, swords, Noh masks, tea ceremony utensils, and calligraphy works. Everything is tastefully displayed, with plenty of natural light and quiet hallways that invite you to slow down. While English signage is limited, the historical atmosphere speaks for itself. It’s not just a museum—it feels like stepping into a living past. An essential complement to your visit to...

Very good museum focussed many on the Edo period. From this period there is a range of swords, calligraphy, art, armour, theatre masks and costumes, weapons and pottery. There is a recreation of the local leaders residence spanning over a dozen rooms. Most descriptions are in Japanese with some simple titles in English. There is free wifi and a free app that gives good free descriptions in many languages including English. I thought is was one of the better museums for the period. Discounted if you. It with the castle ticket which is...

この博物館ならではの特別な陳列というわけではなく、規模としても地方都市の中規模博物館程度。しかし、主に井伊家に伝わる歴史的な収蔵品が展示されているため、井伊家とそれにまつわる歴史を深く楽しむことができる。彦根城が現存天守であるため天守内の展示は限られているし、博物館は天守の入場と別料金（500円）がかかるものの、井伊家の歴史と魅力を知る上で、この博物館は欠かせない。 他の博物館と異なっているところの一つに、この博物館はかつての表御殿を復元して建てられているため、回廊式の屋敷や日本庭園も楽しむことが出来る。博物館の展示を観覧の途中もしくは終わりに、まるで御殿の殿様や姫のような気分で、ゆったりと過ごせる。彦根城と異なり、障碍を持つ人でも気軽に利用しやすい工夫が施されている。 展示の紹介文のほとんどは日本語のため、英語等の他言語の併記は少ない。入り口で多言語のパンフレットを手にするか、ガイドの説明を聞くといいだろう。

The scale of this museum is about the same as them of mid-sized museum in local cities, and it does not have the display method of exhibits unique to this museum. However, as valuable historical materials of the Ii family are exhibited, if you'd like to know the history of the Ii clan deeply, you should visit this museum even if it is separate from the admission fee of Hikone castle. One distinctive feature of the other museums is that there are corridor style residences and Japanese gardens, because the museum was built in the reconstructed palatial home of Ii clan. At the same time you view the exhibits, you'll be able to enjoy the feelings of the lord and the princess of this castle. This museum has ingenuity that people with disabilities can easily enjoy. On the other hand, explanation of most exhibitions is written in Japanese. To enjoy in multiple languages such as English, it is better to get a multilingual brochure or...