Kanazawa Castle

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Located inside the Kanazawa Castle Park and right opposite to the Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa Castle was built by the Maeda clan, once the rulers of Kanazawa, as its family residence and they lived there for hundreds of years. Its Main Keep was destroyed in a fire in 1602 and has never been rebuilt. Nowadays, the places you can visit in Kanazawa Castle are three major gates including Hashizume mon, Kahoku mon and Nezumita mon, three buildings including Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Najaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura and a garden named Gyokusen’inmaru Garden. In 2008, the Kanazawa Castle was designated as a national important cultural property by the Japanese government and was listed as a national historical site in Japan in the same year.

Three Major Gates

Hashizume-mon Gate

Designated as a national cultural property by the Japanese government in 1950, Hashizume-mon Gate was rebuilt in 1788. As the past back-door of Kanazawa Castle, Hashizume-mon Gate consists of a two-story arrow tower and multiple doors with large iron nails.

Kahoku-mon Gate

Kahoku-mon Gate has been the main gate of Kanazawa Castle for over a hundred years, which is located on the front face of Ni-no-maru area. Kahoku-mon Gate holds an important defensive position and was composed of Ichi-no mon, Ni-no mon and Masugata dobei. The original Kahoku-mon Gate was destroyed in 1883 and was not rebuilt until 2007, using solid beech according to the traditional architectural method and finished in 2010. The decorative rivets behind the door resemble Western patterns if looking from a distance.

You can also visit Yagura from the staircase next to the Kahoku-mon Gate, where you can smell the soothing fragrance of cypress wood as its interiors is made from Noto hinoki cypress lumber. Standing in Yagura, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Kanazawa Castle.

Nezumita-mon Gate

Nezumita-mon Gate, the main gate of Ni-no-maru area, is the most stylish gate in Kanazawa Castle. Due to a fire during the Meiji period (1868–1912), the original Nezumita-mon Gate was burned down. Later, in response to the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, it regained its former appearance 134 years ago. By the way, the place behind the Nezumita-mon Gate was where the guards used to stand and next to the gate is Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura, one of the three main buildings in Kanazawa Castle.

Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Najaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura

In the center of Kanazawa Castle stands three restored large wooden buildings, Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Najaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura. You can enter them to visit at a few fee. Inside these three buildings, there are not only a detailed explanation of the history and chronology of Kanazawa Castle, but also marvelous exhibitions and the models of the castle that demonstrates multiple kinds of traditional construction techniques used in the castle restoration. The main function of Hishi Yagura was to monitor Kahoku-mon Gate (main gate) and Hashizume-mon Gate (back gate). Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura is the tower monitoring Masugata of Nezumita-mon Gate. The purpose of Gojukken Najaya is to store weapons.And English introductions of these exhibitions are provided.

In addition, for the convenience of tourists, barrier-free facilities such as elevators and slopes have been specially constructed during the restoration project, allowing disabled tourists to enjoy their sightseeing! Due to the fact that the interior is made entirely of wood, it is necessary to take off shoes before entry. A plastic bag will be provided for tourists to put their shoes in and carry them during the visit.

Gyokusen’inmaru Garden

Gyokusen'inmaru Garden is a typical Japanese style garden with marvelous scenery. On Fridays, Saturdays, or the day before holidays, the garden holds lighting activities at night with sunset as the theme, showcasing different charm. By the way, it is also a great place to appreciate cherry blossoms in spring.

How to Get There

You can take Kanazawa Loop Bus at Kanazawa station and get off at Kenrokuen stop, which is a few steps from Hashizume-mon Gate, the most commonly used entrance by tourists. The bus ride takes about 20 minutes.

Opening Hours

Kanazawa Castle is open all year round:
March 1st to October 15th: 7:00 to 18:00
October 16th to February: 8:00 to 17:00

Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Najaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura: 9:00 to 16:30, last entry at 16:00.

Tickets

Kanazawa Castle Park: Free

Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Najaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura:
Adults: 320 yen
Children between 6-17: 100 yen
Seniors aged over 65: Free of charge with passport presented

Cash payments only.

Nearby Attractions

Kenroku-en Garden is a strolling-style garden with many trees, flowers, towers, terraces and pavilions. Katsurazaka Gate, the main entrance of Kenrokuen, is only a few meters from Hashizume-mon Gate of Kanazawa Castle.

Higashichaya Old Town features geisha performances and ancient teahouses. But it is only through the reservation of geisha’s acquaintances that you can enjoy geisha performance. You can get there from Kanazawa Castle after walking for 20 minutes.