The Hikone-jo Castle that had taken the purpose as important defense wall toward Saigoku (western part of Japan) spent most of the time in the Tokugawa Period as a warehouse and others under the jurisdiction of organizations in the domain.
徳川幕府の西国への重要な備えとしての役割を担う彦根城も、彦根藩の各組織の管轄で天守以下倉庫等として徳川時代の大半を過ごした。