Kanazawa Castle Park

In 1583 (the period of Tensho 11th), Toshiie Maeda entered this castle as the first feudal lord, since then this castle had been used by the Maeda family of Kaga Domain until the early time of the Meiji, later the ruin of this castle was reconstructed to use as a large park for citizens. Ishikawa-mon gate and Sanjukken Nagaya remain their figures of what they were at the Edo period, while Kahoku-mon gate, Imori moat, and Gyokusen-in Maru Garden have successively been rebuilt and recollected their original figure. The construction of stone walls should be remarkable, for example, placing the stones in the correct direction to prevent from facing an unlucky direction and building based on an idea of septaria which are influenced by Chinese cosmology, the cosmic dual forces and the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth).

Newly restored in 2001, the Hishi Yagura, the Gojukken Nagaya, and the Hashizume-mon Tuzuki Yagura, like the Ishikawa-mon gate, and Sanjukken Nagaya, are characterized by their exteriors using lead roof tiles and Namako wall, each of which are large-scaled wooden constructions after the Meiji period in Japan. These buildings were used to protect the Nino-Maru during the domestic war time, so lattice windows to drop stones or set guns for shooting and fireproof outer walls were used and still remained. You can look at them from a close distance.

Nezuta-mon gate and Nezuta-mon gate bridge were burned down in the Meiji period, and about 140 years later, they were completely rebuilt in 2020. Nezuta-mon gate is characteristic of its black outer walls with Namako plaster and was located on the west side of the castle. This gate was used as a doorway from Kanayade maru (currently on the premises of Oyama shrine). The wooden bridge connecting to the gate is the largest bridge in the castle.