Nagahama Castle Historical Museum

Nagahama, Japan, Japan

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The Nagahama Castle Historical Museum (more formally called the Nagahama Castle History Museum) is a reconstructed castle and museum located in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, just a short walk from JR Nagahama Station on the shores of Lake Biwa.

The original Nagahama Castle was built in 1574 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after he had unified the region, and it was his first major castle as a powerful feudal lord, which is why it is often called the “Castle of Success” and seen as the starting point on his path to later unifying all of Japan. The castle was later abandoned at the beginning of the Edo period.

Its remains were moved to nearby Hikone Castle and a temple, leaving only stone walls and a historic well known as the “Taikoh Well” on the site. In 1983, the castle was rebuilt with donations from local citizens, recreating its Azuchi‑Momoyama‑period appearance, and the interior was opened as a history museum that displays documents, artifacts, and exhibits about Hideyoshi, the Warring States period, and the development of Nagahama and the surrounding Kōhoku region.