Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road

Yumekyobashi Castle Road is located about a 15-minute walk from JR Hikone Station and lets you experience a streetscape that still retains the atmosphere of the Edo period. The area is unified in a machiya-style design, with white walls and black lattice patterns, reflecting how it once thrived as the castle town of Hikone Castle. Today, it is bustling with tourists, with many eateries for casual “street food” tasting and shops selling local items. One popular highlight is “Yumekyobashi Akari-kan,” where you can find traditional crafts and even try candle-making. Because a story about Ii Naotaka, the second lord of Hikone Domain, is said to be the origin of the “maneki-neko” (beckoning cat), the facility also includes a specialty shop devoted to maneki-neko—something you don’t often see elsewhere. Nearby is Soan-ji Temple, founded by Ii Naomasa, which enshrines a Buddhist statue that was treasured by Ishida Mitsunari. Continuing past Castle Road from Hikone Castle, you’ll also find “Yonbancho Square,” built on the site of a former public market, with many restaurants and shops where you can buy local ingredients.