Originally Posted by
abmj-jr
If you haven't been there, I would suggest Hikone, on Lake Biwa, for a relatively short day trip. With the more well-known Himeji Castle under renovation, Hikone is the nearest original construction feudal era castle in the area. The castle is interesting, with nice views out over Biwa and the little town is welcoming. A nice place for foot tourists.
It's on a hill and quite a bit of climbing. The only attraction to me is the "original construction" for what it's worth. There is also the made-in-Japan Hikone cartoon character stuffed toy exclusively available at the shop at the top. Everywhere else only Chinese-made "imitation" available
The garden down the hill (included in the admission) was much more interesting, as there were lots of couples taking wedding pictures in traditional outfits, even though it's on a weekday.