Sakamoto Castle Ruins Park

Sakamoto Castle Ruins Park occupies the lakeside site where Akechi Mitsuhide, the samurai who famously betrayed Oda Nobunaga in the Honno-ji Incident of 1582, built his fortress on the shores of Lake Biwa. The castle itself was destroyed shortly after Mitsuhide's defeat, but the park preserves scattered stone foundations and a bronze statue of the enigmatic general gazing across the water. The waterfront setting offers peaceful views of Lake Biwa and Mount Hiei, and the surrounding Sakamoto area retains its historical character with stone-walled lanes leading up to Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine and the cable car station for Enryakuji Temple. Spring brings cherry blossoms along the lakeshore, making it a tranquil picnic spot away from Kyoto's crowds.