Genkyūen and Rakurakuen Gardens

Built in 1677 as part of the Ii clan residence in Hikone, this stroll garden centers on a large pond with a central island representing Horai, the legendary Island of the Immortals from Chinese mythology. Paths around the water lead to carefully composed views that shift as you walk, combining the garden's interior scenery with borrowed views of Hikone Castle on the hill above. The adjacent Rakurakuen annex, added in the early 1800s, was named by doubling the character for "enjoyment" because visitors could appreciate both the pond and the surrounding mountains. A major restoration completed in the late 1990s returned the grounds to their early 19th-century layout.