Kanazawa Castle
金沢城
Built in 1580 and ruled by the Maeda clan for 14 generations, this castle's reconstructed structures reflect its appearance in the 1850s.
〒 920-0937How to get there
金沢Hokuriku Shinkansen · IR Ishikawa Railway Line27 min walk from the station
Kanazawa Castle is a large Japanese castle located near the famous Kenroku-en Garden, which once served as the castle's private outer garden. The current structures are mostly reconstructions of how the castle appeared in the 1850s. The castle was originally built by Oda Nobunaga's general, Sakuma Morimasa, in 1580 as he conquered Kaga Province. However, after the assassination of Nobunaga, Morimasa was defeated by Maeda Toshiie in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. Toshiie then made Kanazawa the headquarters of Kaga Domain, and it was ruled by the Maeda clan for 14 generations from the Sengoku period until the Meiji Restoration in 1871. The castle was designated a National Historic Site in 2008.
What's on here
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| April 2027 | ||
| 30 Apr – 2 May 2027Date to be confirmed | The Four Seasons of Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden: Spring Illuminations | |
Getting There
Planning a trip? Fit this into a trip and Oni plans the rest around it.
Places nearby
Gyokusen'inmaru Garden
A garden built in 1634 within Kanazawa Castle, notable as the first to use creatively patterned stone walls, reconstructed beginning in 2013.
Kanazawa · Ishikawa
Kenrokuen Garden
A strolling garden in Kanazawa laid out by the lords of Kaga over two centuries, counted among the Three Great Gardens of Japan.
Kanazawa · Ishikawa
Kanazawa City Hall
Kanazawa City Hall blends traditional Japanese craftsmanship with modern design across two buildings serving this UNESCO Creative City of 460,000 residents.
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Nagoya Castle
Castle constructed in 1612 as the center of a major Edo-era post station, destroyed in World War II bombing but reconstructed since 1957.
Nagoya · Aichi
Marugame Castle
Seventeenth-century castle with distinctive 20-meter stone walls, rebuilt in 1640 and completed in 1670, ranked among Japan's Top 100 Castles.
Marugame · Kagawa
Inuyama Castle
Castle with a watchtower believed to be Japan's oldest tenshu, dating to the 1580s and rebuilt multiple times before being seized after the Meiji Restoration.
Inuyama · Aichi
Snowman Festival
Thousands of handmade snowmen are lit after dark in two mountain towns in winter, with local food vendors selling regional specialties.
6 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetHakusan · Ishikawa
Issaki Hoto Festival
The Issaki Hoto Festival: six illuminated lantern towers, each 10 meters tall, carried through the streets by teams in traditional festival dress.
1 Aug 2027Exact date not confirmed yetNanao · Ishikawa
Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival
Kanazawa's Hyakumangoku Festival honours Lord Maeda Toshiie, whose 1583 entry into the castle established the city, and is now a major regional cultural event.
5–7 Jun 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKanazawa · Ishikawa
