Shigaken-Gokoku-jinja, Shinto shrine in Japan
Shigaken-Gokoku-jinja is a shrine in Hikone dedicated to the fallen from Shiga Prefecture, honoring approximately 34,000 soldiers from various wars. The grounds feature simple wooden buildings, stone lanterns, and tended paths that create a quiet setting for visitors.
The shrine began in 1869 as a stone monument at a temple for 26 soldiers of the Boshin War and was transformed into a formal shrine in 1875. After World War II it was temporarily renamed, but returned to its original name in 1953.
The shrine honors the fallen from Shiga Prefecture and serves as a place of mourning and reflection for families and visitors. Its simple design with wooden structures and tended paths invites quiet remembrance and connects the memory of war dead with hopes for peace.
The shrine is about a seven-minute walk from Hikone Station and is easy to reach on foot. The grounds have simple paths and are well accessible for visitors seeking a quiet place for reflection.
The shrine is connected to other Gokoku shrines across Japan that form a nationwide network for remembering war dead. This connection shows how local memorial sites are part of a larger system for preserving history.
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