Kanazawa Castle and Garden has to be one of the highlights of my trip to Japan. Sure the shrine and temple visits were great, but few of them really inspired awe and wonder the way this castle did. I’d have to say that if you enjoy Japan’s history and culture then this is a must-visit (also don’t forget the Nomura Samurai House).
Kanazawa Castle and Garden: It Has Something for Everybody
I went to Kanazawa Castle some time during the winter season so the skies were understandably overcast. That said, the castle’s gates still looked amazing even with the muted lighting. The way it towers over the horizon from the entrance really is impressive.
Don't miss my new travel story!
Subscribe To Email List
We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
Here’s a poster that’s just before the bridge detailing the business hours and admission fees for the park. What’s interesting though is that not all areas of the park will open at the same time. The Hishiyagura Turret, Gojikken Nagaya Storehouse, Hashizumemon Gate, Kahokumon Gate, and Nezumitamon Gates all open at 9:00AM and close early at 4:30PM. Moreover, these areas (excluding the Kahokumon and Nezumitamon Gates) all require a JPY320 admission fee. There’s also a Gyokusen-inmaru Garden where, for JPY800, you can rest and get powdered green tea and snacks (fresh wagashi sweet).
This is a map of the whole Kanazawa Castle Park area and it looks absolutely expansive. It’s particularly important to note though that some areas of the park are closed off. According to the sign, these areas were damaged during the recent Noto earthquake so the restrictions were made to prevent accidents.
This is perhaps one of the most iconic features of Kanazawa Caste: the Ishikawamon Gate. It’s said that the gates have been around since the 1500s but the one we see right now is actually a reconstruction from 1788. The gate is so iconic that it’s now become the symbol of the castle town of Kanazawa.
Here’s the path leading to Ishikawamon Gate. The best time to really visit here (not just the castle but the whole of Kanazawa really) is during the spring season when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. That said, the view here at the time of my visit was still nice. The bare cherry blossoms had this ethereal look to them that some people (including me) might enjoy looking at.
A closer look at one of the towers/turrets making up the defensive elements of the gate. It’s interesting that the gate, outside of its reconstruction in the 1700s, has actually remained untouched through the years. It’s even said to have survived through a fire that razed and damaged the castle itself during the Meiji period.
Here’s a sign that again details the opening and closing hours of the park as well as that of the castle’s defensive watchtowers/turrets and its storehouse attractions.
Some signs showing what’s not allowed inside the park. I think these are quite reasonable restrictions considering how old the castle is and the building materials used on it.
Now I’m just outside of the gates and, wait. What’s this? There are two gates? I was actually under the impression that the gates would lead directly to the castle grounds. Turns out, it leads straight to this small courtyard which I’ll have to cross to get to another gate. From what I understand, this was done intentionally as a means to box-in opposing forces who might attempt to get into the castle through the gates. Remember the tower earlier? It had openings facing this direction from which defenders could then throw stones or use their matchlock guns/rifles and/or bows to rain death upon invading forces.
See those windows or openings on the second floor? Just imagine how vulnerable attacking forces would be from a group of soldiers firing down arrows or hot balls of lead from up there. Anyway, let’s now proceed to the Kanazawa castle grounds.
The wooden building in the center of the picture is the Kanazawa Castle Park Information Center. This is where you can purchase entry for the castle’s towers/turrets, storehouse, the Hashizumemon Gate, and the Gyokusen-inmaru Garden.
Here’s a detailed map of both the Kanazawa Castle Park and the adjacent Kenrouken Garden (and also the Oyama Shrine). As you can see, the whole park covers such a large area. Anyway, the map has QR codes that you can scan using your phone to get access to an online version of the map in your preferred language (if you’re unable to understand Japanese).
Though I’m still at the Information Center, I can now see some of the most popular attractions in this castle. The middle ground image is the Kahukomon Gate which served as the main gate of the castle before it got demolished in 1880. Eventually, it was decided to reconstruct the gate in 2007 and work was completed two and a half years later in 2010.
Here’s a map of the Kaga Hyakamangoku Excursion Route. The Kaga Hyakamangoku refers to Kaga in the Edo period being known as the domain that could “yield one million koku of rice”. So why is it in Kanazawa then? Well, Kanazawa used to be the administrative center of the Kaga domain after all. Technically speaking, you could say that it’s still in Kaga.
Here’s a poster for an event/exhibit near the Kenrokuen. Specifically, the event will be held at the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art and it’s mainly to highlight Riki Kontani’s works. The exhibits will run daily (9:30AM to 5:30PM) from the 9th of February up until the 20th of March.
Another poster reminding visitors to NOT wander off into restricted areas, climb the stone walls, smoke or light fires, and bring along vehicles. Now that I’m inside the park, I sort of understand why they’re so strict with these rules for visitors.
This is a nice summary of the history of Kanazawa Castle and how it became a Nationally Designated Historical Site. There’s actually a lot of cool facts here that I personally didn’t know about the castle. For example, I was always under the impression that the castle had remained unchanged since the Edo period. The truth of the matter is though that much of what we see now are reconstructions. Moreover, the reconstruction work is still ongoing (and might have suffered a setback with the Noto Earthquake).
A sign pointing towards Hishiyagura Turret, the Gojikkennagaya Storehouse, and Hashizumemon Gate. If you paid for admission to these areas then you can proceed there by walking straight on this path and turning to your left once you reach the moat.
Here’s a look at Gojikkennagaya, Hashizumemon Tsuzuki Yagura, and the Hashizumemon Gate. The Hashizumemon Tsuzuki Yagura served as a watchtower to observe the the Hashizumemon Gate and the people who came and went through it. As for the Gojikkennagaya, it’s actually the long hall-like structure that the Hashizumemon Tsuzuki Yagura is connected to. It can also be used for defense as it has openings for archers and riflemen to shoot from but it typically served more as a storage house for weapons.
I took this pic immediately when I got close to the moat. Remember Hashizumemon Tsuzuki Yagura earlier? Well, it isn’t the only turret connected to Gojikkennagaya. Hishi Yagura or the Diamond Turret also served as a watchtower and weapons storehouse. Much like Hashizumemon Tsuzuki Yagura, it’s connected to Gojikkennagaya to form a formidable defense for the castle and its inhabitants. One thing that’s interesting about this structure is that in order to conform to its diamond shape, the builders had to give its posts (made from Japanese cypress) diamond shapes as well.
A wide angle view of the Hishi Yagura and how it connects to the Gojikkennagaya. I will say that this was easily one of the most impressive things on this trip. The architecture looks so simple but at the same time there’s a sophistication to it that I just can’t quite describe.
After admiring the Hishi Yagura, I decided to finally go check out what was inside the Hashizumemon Gate. Judging by the people having their photos taken there, it would seem like the gate was a popular spot for visitors.
Upon reaching the gate, I checked out this post that had an inscription detailing its history. The English translation was kinda weathered out so I had to rely on Google Lens for a translation. So apparently, the gate was originally part of the Ni-no-maru or second enclosure and served as its main gate. It’s a masugata (or square shaped) style gate much like the Ishikawa mon that we went through to enter the castle grounds.
This is the wall that makes up the enclosure. Unlike the Ishikawamon Gate, this enclosure is many times larger.
I’m now going across this bridge and through the Hashizumemon Gate. Then I’ll just follow the pathway, turn left, and…
I’m now at the second gate. Apparently, this style of gate is called a yagura-mon and they’re usually what’s used in matsugata style gates like here at Hashizumemon. Essentially, they’re just gates attached to a yagura which in this case is the Hashizumemon no Tsuzuki Yagura.
This is the road that leads to the Hommaru-enchi park as well as some Edo-period and even mid-1900s ruins. Now I wouldn’t really recommend following this route. Rather I just came here to this spot because…
This place has one of the best views of Gojikken Nagaya. From this angle and vantage point, it actually looks more massive than the Ishikawamon Gate. It being a reconstruction definitely doesn’t take away from it being an impressive work of Japanese architecture.
After sightseeing around the Gojikken Nagaya area, I decided to head on over to the Gyokusen-inmaru Garden. While going there I was intrigued by this path that led to a small bridge. Turns out, that small bridge is called Gokuraku and that path leads to Sanjikken Nagaya.
I walked further until I came across this fork in the road that has a sign pointing towards the Gyokusen-inmaru Garden. Unfortunately, this is a downhill path so you might have to turn back or go through a different route if you have a companion on a wheelchair.
I decided to follow the path down and I was glad that I actually chose this route. I can now see a little of the garden below and over on the horizon were some of the buildings in Kanazawa’s skyline. If you look closely, you’ll also see what looks to be the rest area in the garden below.
Here’s a map of Gyokusen-inmaru along with its opening and closing times. The sign also posts the admission fee to the garden which at JPY800 already includes a wagashi sweet and powdered green tea for snacks.
A closer look at the garden. I will say that it does look really good and walking around here is probably going to give you a calming feeling. If you do have the time and the budget, then this is an experience that could be worth it especially for people who enjoy gardens and communing with nature.
And with that, my tour of Kanazawa Castle Park came to an end. Before I left though, I made sure to take a picture of this road right next to the Hashizumemon Gate. If you’re wondering, the building you see on the horizon is the Tsurumaru Storehouse. To get this spot, just take the first left as you’re entering the Hashizumemon Gate. Follow the path and it’ll take you past a building that has public restrooms and right up to this spot.
Kanazawa Castle Park has something for everybody. Whether you like history, architecture, gardens, or even just getting lost while walking, you’re bound to experience it here. I also love that you don’t really even need to pay to enjoy the park. Overall, my experience here has been extremely positive. If I had the chance though, I’d definitely come back here once the cherry blossoms are in bloom. What about you? What are your thoughts on Kanazawa Castle Park?
