Japan Guide
Central Honshū
Kanazawa-jō
From Kenroku-en's northernmost exit a footbridge leads to the Ishikawa-mon, a towering eighteenth-century gateway to the castle, Kanazawa-jō. There's been a fortification on the Kodatsuno plateau since 1546, but the castle in its present form dates back mainly to the early seventeenth century. In 2001, part of the inner enclosure was rebuilt using traditional methods and plans from the Edo period. These included the three-storey, diamond-shaped Hishi Yagura and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagra watchtowers, the Gojukken Nagaya corridor linking them, some of the earthern walls, and the Hashizume Bridge and gate leading to the enclosure. Inside the buildings you can see the intricate joinery and have a look at the one-tenth-scale skeletal model carpenters used to master the complexities of the task.
Parts of the original castle are within the grounds, as well as an attractive modern garden with traditional elements – an interesting contrast to Kenroku-en. If you head for the Imori-zaka entrance at the southwest corner of the grounds, you'll emerge near the back of the intriguing Oyama-jinja, a large shrine dedicated to the first Maeda lord, Toshiie. The shrine is fronted by the Shinmon, a square-arched gate with multicoloured stained glass in its upper tower, designed in 1875 with the help of Dutch engineers and once used as a lighthouse to guide ships towards the coast. Opening time: Daily 9am–4.30pm Price: ¥300 entry to the castle buildings 
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