The MAEDA Family ran the Kaga Domain in the Edo Age. Their palace and the government houses were located in Kanazawa Castle. Kanazawa Castle was originally built in 1580, when Kaga area was occupied by ODA Nobunaga. MAEDA Toshiie, who was a retainer of Nobunaga, became the lord of Kanazawa Castle in 1583 and made improvements and modernized Kanazawa Castle.

After the Edo Age ended in 1868, Kanazawa Castle was abandoned and an army camp was located in the castle until World-War II. In 1949, the ruins of Kanazawa Castle became a campus of Kanazawa University.

You can visit Kanazawa Castle from Kenrokuen Garden, located to the east of the castle. First, you will pass "Ishikawamon" Gate, shown in the above picture. The gate was built in 1788 and is designated as an important property of Japan.

After passing the "Ishikawa-Mon" gate, you will see castle buildings behind a widely spread grass field, as shown in the top picture. This view is very impressive.
In the Edo Age, palace buildings were built in the area of the grass field.

Kanazawa University moved to the suburb area of Kanazawa City in 1995 and these turrets and castle buildings were rebuilt in 2001 using the original style. These rebuilt castle buildings recovered the atmosphere of the castle from the Edo Age.

On the right side of the grass field, "Kahoku-Mon" Gate was rebuilt in 2011 and an observation deck was constructed.

Many castle buildings can be seen from the observation deck. This view is also very much impressive and almost the same view as in the Edo Age.

In Kanazawa Castle, other original buildings remain besides "Ishikawa-Mon" Gate. They are "Tsuru-no-Maru" Warehouse and "Sanjyukken" Turret. These two original buildings were used as warehouses and are designated as important properties of Japan.

At night, castle buildings in Kanazawa Castle are illuminated. This view is also very impressive.
If you stay in Kanazawa, please do not miss this view.

Illumination lights highlight checker-flag patterned walls on the gate tower and the castle buildings. This style of wall is called "Nameko-Kabe" wall, covered with square tiles jointed with raised plaster. The wall is considered to have high fire resistance capability.

Kanazawa Castle was seriously damaged by fire in 1759. Almost all buildings in the castle were destroyed by the fire. Many buildings in Kanazawa Castle, which were rebuilt after the fire, have this style of walls. Now, Kanazawa Castle is well-known for "Nameko-Kabe" walls.

Ruins of Kanazawa Castle are designated as a national special historical site.

How to get there
Take a Hokutetsu Bus at the sixth or seventh bus stop to the east side of Kanazawa Station. Or, take a Kanazawa Loop Bus or a Kenrokuen Shuttle Bus. You can get off a bus at the Kenrokuenshita bus stop.

Official English Website:
http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/
kanazawajou/e/index.html

Other Historical Sites near by:
Higashi Chaya District
Kenrokuen Garden
Nagamachi Buke Yashiki District
Teramachi Area