Kanazawa Castle

Welcome to Kanazawa Castle, the historic heart of the city and for nearly 300 years the seat of the immensely powerful Maeda clan. As your guide, I am honored to lead you through these expansive grounds, which served as the…

We begin our exploration at the Ishikawa-mon Gate, one of the few original structures to survive the fires that plagued the castle. Dating back to 1788, it is a National Important Cultural Property and serves as the primary…

Standing before us is the most impressive part of the reconstruction project: the Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Nagaya, and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura. These three connected structures were rebuilt in 2001 after a 120-year absence,…

Kanazawa Castle is often called a 'stone wall museum' because of the sheer variety of masonry styles found throughout the grounds. As we walk along the base of the fortifications, you will see walls built over several centuries,…

Surrounding the castle are a series of deep moats that served as the first line of defense. Historically, these moats were filled with water diverted from the Sai and Asano rivers via the city's complex canal system. …

We now stand in the central area where the 'Tenshu' or main keep once stood. Unlike many other Japanese castles, Kanazawa Castle has not had a main keep since it was destroyed by fire in 1602. …

Within the castle grounds, you will also find the Hanaru Eni forest, a peaceful woodland that offers a break from the formal architecture. Historically, this forest served a practical purpose as a source of wood and as a final…

As we conclude our walk through Kanazawa Castle Park, I hope you carry with you a sense of the immense scale and the meticulous detail that define this landmark. We have moved from the historical authenticity of the Ishikawa-mon…