A portion of the stone wall at Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture partially collapsed on the morning of June 27, 2026 [1].
The incident threatens the structural integrity of a nationally designated Special Historic Site and highlights the vulnerability of ancient fortifications to extreme weather events.
Hikone City staff discovered the collapse of the "米蔵水門石垣" — the rice storehouse watergate stone wall — before noon on Saturday [1]. The damaged section is located on the west side of the main keep [1].
Officials said the collapse was caused by heavy rain associated with successive typhoons. The area recorded more than 200 mm of rain between June 24 and June 27, 2026 [1]. This period of intense precipitation followed the approach of Typhoon 6, also known as Chanmee, which reached its closest point to Shiga Prefecture on June 3, 2026 [2].
No injuries were reported in connection with the wall failure [1]. City officials said they have begun assessing the damage to determine the necessary repairs for the historic masonry.
The castle is one of the few remaining original keeps in Japan. The recent weather patterns, characterized by multiple storm systems in quick succession, have placed significant hydrostatic pressure on the castle's ancient stone foundations [1], [3].
“A portion of the stone wall at Hikone Castle partially collapsed.”
The collapse at Hikone Castle underscores the increasing challenge of preserving Japan's feudal-era architecture against a backdrop of intensifying precipitation. As successive typhoons saturate the ground, the resulting soil pressure and water runoff can destabilize traditional dry-stone masonry, necessitating more frequent and sophisticated geological monitoring for the country's Special Historic Sites.
