Zeze Castle Ruins Park

Highlights & Introduction

Zeze Castle Ruins Park – A Water Castle’s Legacy on the Lakeside –

【Highlights】
・A castle ruins park on the shore of Lake Biwa, developed from the former main keep site of Zeze Castle.
・Lakeside views that evoke the atmosphere of Zeze Castle, once known as a magnificent water castle.
・A popular cherry blossom viewing spot in spring, with blossoms adorning the former main keep grounds.

【History and Culture】
Zeze Castle was completed by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the year after the Battle of Sekigahara. Built along the shore of Lake Biwa, it was a water castle that used the lake itself as a natural moat and became known for its beautiful lakeside setting.

Although it was abandoned after the Meiji Restoration, some structures—such as castle gates—were relocated to nearby shrines and temples, including Zeze Shrine and Shinotsu Shrine, preserving traces of its former appearance to this day. Today, the former main keep site has been developed as Zeze Castle Ruins Park and is beloved as a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in spring. With views of Lake Biwa, it is a place where you can feel the history of Zeze Castle, which once flourished as a water castle.

Founding year / Establishment year：Zeze Castle: 1601 CE

Editor-in-chief：Otsu City Museum of History

Access

Address

7 Honmarucho, Otsu, Shiga 520-0814, Japan

By car: 10 min from the Otsu Interchange on the Meishin Expressway
By train: ・Approx. 7 min by foot from Keihan "Zeze-hommachi" Station
・Get off at "Zeze Koen-mae" bus stop from JR Biwako Line "Otsu" Station (right nearby)
By bus: ・Right in front of Zeze Koen-mae bus stop, reached by bus from JR Otsu Station

View on Google Maps

Access from Kyoto

From Kyoto Station
Approx. 30 minutes total by train and on foot
Approx. 40 minutes by car

Check the route on Google Maps from the link below.

From Kyoto Station

Access from nearby airports

Check the route on Google Maps from the link below.

From Itami Airport From Kansai International Airport

Local Information

Basic Information

Business Hours: Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Closed: None
Price: Free
Parking Lot: Space for several standard cars
Contact Information: Otsu City Parks and Greenery Association (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)

Phone number: 077-528-2784

Related Works and People

Related people: Tokugawa Ieyasu / Todo Takatora / Toda Kazunari / Toda Ujikane / Honda Toshitsugu
Related works: NHK Taiga Drama: What Will You Do, Ieyasu?