Mini Travelogue | Hikone (4) Hikone Castle Museum
The Hikone Castle Museum was an interesting museum that felt a bit different from typical museums.
It was built in 1987 on the site of the Hikone Castle Omote-goten (where the domain's administrative affairs were conducted). What I found interesting was that it featured not only arts, crafts, and historical documents, but also a wooden building and a garden. It seems they reconstructed the lord's living quarters, a tea room, and a garden from the Omote-goten. Furthermore, there was also a Noh stage from the Edo period (1800), which was breathtaking.
I headed to the museum after getting off the Hikone Castle pleasure boat. Since the museum is located right across from the ticket office at the entrance to the Hikone Castle keep, it meant returning to the spot I was at in the morning.
Generally, it is better to visit the museum before heading to the keep, but I wanted to see the keep first.
I passed by the stables once again. Then, I crossed the Omotemon Bridge to get to the museum.
This is the third location on the set ticket. I thought 1,500 yen in total was a good deal.
The Hikone Byobu was on display as part of a special exhibition. It is a genre painting from the early Edo period, said to depict scenes from the Rokujo-sujimachi pleasure district in Kyoto. Its official name is 'Paper-based Gold-leafed Colored Genre Painting'.
As a commoner of the Reiwa era, I was first captivated by the gold leaf, and then found the scenes of Edo-period commoners quite fascinating.
Photography was permitted inside the museum, provided that no flash or tripods were used. You can view detailed photos of individual exhibits on the museum's website.
I thought about the Battle of Sekigahara, imagining how the vermilion-clad army must have looked formidable.
There were people who appeared to be volunteers wearing vermilion clothes all over Hikone Castle. For example, in the morning, there were several people cleaning the Omotemon approach. Thanks to them, I was able to enjoy my sightseeing comfortably.
My interests are a bit skewed, so I hurried past the tea utensils, ceramics (Koto-yaki), and ancient documents...
In the wedding furnishings section, I was reminded of Toson Shimazaki's 'Before the Dawn.' It tells the story of Princess Nobuko Arisugawa, who married the Lord of Hikone at the end of the Edo period. In Japanese history, this is known as 'Kobu Gattai' (Union of the Court and the Shogunate). I wonder if she traveled from Kyoto to marry the Lord of Hikone, who lived in Edo, via the Nakasendo road. What kind of life did she lead?
The palace's inner quarters and tea room. The tatami rooms of Japanese houses are so relaxing.
I would love to sit in a tatami room and gaze leisurely at a Japanese garden like this.
There was a Noh stage in the center, surrounded by the museum building. It is a historical building from the Edo period.
It was a luxury to be able to see an authentic Noh stage. I was also impressed by the design, which preserves a historical structure within what is essentially the courtyard of a modern building.
With that, my one-hour tour is complete. After this, I will head to 'Yumekyobashi Castle Road' for a late lunch and then buy some souvenirs.
Next time, I will post (5) Yumekyobashi Castle Road and the Ashigaru-gumi Residence District.