Sawayama Yuen

Overview

Sawayama Yuen is an unfinished amusement park located in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. It was conceived as a theme park dedicated to the Sengoku-era warlord Ishida Mitsunari, who held Sawayama Castle as his stronghold, and was planned to center on a reconstructed Sawayama Castle with a history museum, an art museum, and ride facilities. Facing National Route 8, it is an unusual place known as a 'B-grade' tourist spot.

Highlights

• ●An unfinished amusement park themed on Ishida Mitsunari
• ●A reconstructed Sawayama Castle set at its center
• ●Buildings and exhibits made privately by one individual
• ●A well-known 'B-grade' tourist spot along National Route 8

History

Izumi Iwao, a local building contractor, conceived the Ishida Mitsunari theme park and broke ground in 1976. It was operated by the Sawayama Mitsunari-kai foundation (later reorganized into a general incorporated foundation), and most of the buildings and exhibits within the park were made privately by the businessman who conceived it. However, it never reached an official opening.

Map

35.2746, 136.2691 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Check its location along National Route 8 on a map
2. 2Read up on the background of Ishida Mitsunari and Sawayama Castle
3. 3Confirm the latest opening and access status via official information
4. 4Combine your trip with historic sites around Sawayama in Hikone City

Did you know?

💡 It operated on a free-admission basis while extensions and remodeling continued, and its entrance bore a sign reading 'Please enter freely — Sawayama Mitsunari-kai.' In March 2000, a theft of antiques inside was reported, describing it as 'Hikone's private history museum,' showing it was still open at that time.

Nearby spots