Beautiful Garden 'Genkyuen' in a Rural Town of Japan

Japan Travel Diary 11 - Shiga Prefecture Edition

📍Genkyuen

Shiga Prefecture, which surrounds Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa, is home to a quaint rural town called Hikone.

In Hikone, you'll find Hikone Castle, a national treasure, and today’s highlight is its garden, Genkyuen 🪴.

Genkyuen is located along the path leading up to Hikone Castle. Since the castle tends to get crowded, it’s more efficient to visit the castle first and then stop by Genkyuen on your way down ☺️.

Genkyuen is designed around a large pond, and visitors can enjoy strolling along its edges. Personally, I found it even more beautiful than Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, one of Japan's three great gardens.

If you love nature, I highly recommend visiting this garden. While it’s not very large, on a clear day, its beauty is captivating enough to make you pause and simply take it all in 🌿.

It’s such a picturesque spot that I regret not being able to take photos of myself there since I visited alone ☺️.

🚎 How to Get to Genkyuen from Hikone Station

Take the Hikone Castle-bound bus from the bus stop in front of Hikone Station -> Walk about 10 minutes

OR Walk about 20 minutes directly from Hikone Station 🏃♀️

🌿 Genkyuen Admission Fees

Hikone Castle + Genkyuen Package Ticket: 1,000 yen

Genkyuen Single Admission Ticket: 400 yen