Hikone | Shiga Prefecture Gokoku Jinja Shrine, a shrine that prays for peace and no war

#July Good Places 2025 ✓Shiga Prefecture Gokoku Shrine A solemn shrine located next to the outer moat of Hikone Castle and the Hikone Tourist Information Center. Built in 1876, it was originally a shrine for the deceased government officials, and later renamed the Gokoku Shrine, exuding a solemn atmosphere. The shrine enshrines the Shiga Prefecture war dead who died in the Meiji Boshin War, the Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the Greater East Asia War. Today, it attracts many believers who pray for world peace to come and worship. This shrine houses the armor of the 17th lord of Hikone-Satsuma, "Ii Naoki", which is currently on loan to the Hikone Castle Museum for safekeeping.