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kanazawa

  1. Kanazawa Station

    Kanazawa Station

    The Tsuzumi Gate ('Drum Gate') at the East Entrance of Kanazawa Station (金沢駅)
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  2. Nomura Samurai House

    Travel Nomura Samurai House

    The former residence of the Nomura family (野村家) is located in Nagamachi, the bukeyashiki or samurai quarter of Kanazawa, a quiet district characterised by its long straight mud-daub walls topped with traditional wooden slats called kobaita (小羽 板) and covered with straw mats (こも komo) in winter...
  3. Oyama Shrine Kanazawa

    Travel Oyama Shrine Kanazawa

    Oyama Shrine (尾山神社 Oyama-jinja) is located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, just west of Kanazawa Castle Park. It commemorates Maeda Toshiie (前田 利家, 1538-1599), the first daimyō of Kaga Domain and was constructed in 1599 by his son and successor, Maeda Toshinaga, at Utatsuyama (卯辰山). For that...
  4. Kanazawa Travel Guide

    Travel Kanazawa Travel Guide

    Kanazawa (金沢) is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture and the political, economic, and cultural centre of the Hokuriku Region. Kanazawa developed in the 15th century as a de facto autonomous temple town of the Ikkō sect. In 1580, the Ikkō movement was destroyed by Sakuma Morimasa, who built...
  5. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Gyokusen'in Maru Garden
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  6. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Gyokusen'in Maru Garden
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  7. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Gyokusen'in Maru Garden
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  8. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    The remains of Inui-yagura. Inui (乾) means northwest, as the turret was located northwest of the honmaru, the inner bailey. It was destroyed by fire in 1759. The honmaru was constructed by Maeda Toshiie in 1583 but burned down in 1631. It has never been reconstructed, as the central buildings...
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  9. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Stonewall close to the former honmaru (inner bailey).
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  10. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    The Hishi-yagura has large and ornamented dashi windows with magnificent kara hafu and chidori hafu gables.
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  11. Gyokusen'in Maru Garden

    Gyokusen'in Maru Garden

    Gyokusen'in Maru Garden was constructed by Maeda Toshitsune, the third daimyō of Kaga Domain, in 1634 as a daimyō garden on what used to be the residence of Gyokusen'in, the wife of Maeda Toshinaga, the second lord of Kaga. It is held in classical chisen-kaiyū (池泉回遊) style with a central pond...
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  12. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    The Sanjikken-nagaya was both a defensive structure as well as a storehouse. It was constructed in the early 17th century and destroyed in a fire in 1759. The current structure was built in 1858 and 30 ken (48.2 metres) in length.
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  13. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    The roof was made of wood and covered with 1.8mm thick lead tiles. There are different theories as to why lead was used: either to reduce the weight on the roof or for aesthetic purposes. Some refer to the abundance of lead in Kaga Domain, while others believe that lead could be melted down in...
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  14. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    The construction technique of namako (sea cucumber) walls used throughout Kanazawa Castle: black tiles are attached to the earthen wall and their joints hardened with plaster. The shape of the plaster resembles sea cucumbers, hence the name.
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  15. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Visitors can play with wooden blocks and try to join pillars and beams based on the original techniques used at Kanazawa Castle.
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  16. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Pillars and beams were joined with this unique technique: large base pillars (ashigatame) were joined crosswise and bound to foundation stones to increase earthquake resistance.
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  17. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Inside the reconstructed armoury (Gojikken-nagaya). Gojikken refers to a length of 50 ken (98 metres).
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  18. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    Diorama of Kanazawa Castle as seen from the northwest.
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  19. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    View of Kahoku-mon from Hishi-yagura
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  20. Kanazawa Castle

    Kanazawa Castle

    The Gojikken-nagaya building had seven separate ishi-otoshi (stone-dropping bay windows). Windows are attached to three sides of each dashi bay window. The slots under the windows could be used to throw stones on enemies climbing up the stone walls or to shoot at them with firearms and arrows.
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