Gojukken Nagaya Storehouse with turrets
From 1583 to the end of the Edo Period, Kanazawa Castle (金沢城, Kanazawajō) was the seat of the powerful Maeda Clan, lords of Kaga, a feudal domain ranking second only to the Tokugawa possessions in terms of size and rice production.
The castle burnt down a few times throughout its history, and the most recent fires of 1881 were survived only by the castle's Ishikawa-mon Gate. The gate, which dates from 1788, is the main entrance to the park and faces Kenrokuen.
For several decades, Kanazawa University occupied the former castle grounds, until the campus was moved into the city's outskirts in the early 1990s. Since then, a project has been underway to slowly rebuild the historic buildings of the former Kanazawa Castle.
Hishi Yagura Turret
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Ishikawa-mon Gate
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The first buildings to be reconstructed were the Hishi Yagura, a turret overlooking the northern approach to the castle, Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura, a turret guarding the entrance to the central area of the castle grounds, and Gojukken Nagaya, a long storehouse running between the two turrets.
The three buildings were completely rebuilt to their original appearance in the 1850s, using traditional techniques and materials. They were opened to the public in 2001 and contain excellent displays on traditional carpentry and construction methods.
In spring 2010, reconstruction of the castle's former main entrance gate, the Kahoku-mon Gate (free admission), was completed together with the restoration of a water filled castle moat. Furthermore, the renovation of the Ishikawa-mon Gate is currently underway (planned completion in 2013). However, there are currently no plans to rebuild the main castle keep.
Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura Turret
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