Located to the north-east of Hikone Castle, Genkyū-en is a daimyo garden created in 1677 by Ii Naoki (井伊直興), the fourth lord of Hikone. Designed as a kaiyū-shiki teien (回遊式庭園), or stroll garden, it features a large central pond, islands, bridges, and landscaped viewpoints inspired by the Eight Views of Ōmi (近江八景). Together with the adjacent Rakuraku-en (楽々園), the former lord's villa, it forms one of the finest surviving castle gardens of the Edo period. From its shores, visitors can enjoy one of the most celebrated views of Hikone Castle's National Treasure keep.
