Attractions > Other Cities and Areas > Japanese Castles > Kanazawa

About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees

Kanazawa Castle, 663highland (CC BY-SA 3.0)

 

About

Kanazawa Castle is a well restored Castle in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture Japan.  The city of Kanazawa tries to "faithfully" restore this castle as it was during it's heyday.  The castle was the seat of the powerful Maeda Clan, said to be the second most powerful clan (in terms of size and wealth) in Japan after the Tokugawa Clan at that time. In it's long history various parts of the castle have burned down and been re-constructed many times.  Unfortunately the "Main Keep" (Which is said to have been 6 stories high) has yet to be re-constructed (lost in a fire in 1602) but many parts of this beautiful castle have been completed and or under current construction.  The Ishikawa-mon Gate (dates from 1788 and faces Kenrokuen) is an original structure.  The grounds and re-constructed structures are quite beautiful and visitors are always please when visiting the sight along with Kenrokuen (a famous Japanese Garden) right next to the castle.  If your in Kanazawa, the castle is a "Must See" destination.

Maeda Toshiie was the 4th son of a "minor" Samurai family but was lucky to enter the service of a powerful Daimyo when he was 15 years old.  He rose through the ranks quickly because of his skill in battle and ended up becoming the Daimyo of Noto province (an old province in the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, including the Noto Peninsula) in 1581.  Sakuma Marimasa was the original founder of a small fortification in Kanazawa but Maeda Toshiie greatly increased the size and power of the structure into a full scale castle in the 1590s. Toshiie built a strong castle which included moats and canals on the highest ground in the middle of the growing city of Kanazawa.

Please visit our Japanese Castles page to find more castles in Japan.

 

Access

Closest Train Station: Kanazawa

Marunouchi, 1 Ban, 1 Go
Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa 920-0937 Japan

Tel: 076-234-3800

From Kanazawa Station -

• Bus (Kanazawa Loop Bus): Leaves every 15 min. 200 yen per ride.
• Bus (Kenrokuen Shuttle Bus) bound for Kenrokuen: Leaves every 20 min. 100 yen per ride on weekends / 200 yen per ride on weekdays.

Google Map

 

Hotels & Lodging

Recommended

View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Kanazawa Castle.

 

Hours & Fees

Hours: Mar - Oct.15: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm, Oct.16 - Feb.: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Closed: No closing days

Cost: Castle grounds are free. Various buildings (tower, museum, etc.) charge a very small fee for entry.

Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.

 

Resources

Website: Kanazawa Castle Homepage