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city in Japan

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35.011667135.768333

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Mount Fuji

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Sights (11)

Oyama Shrine (Ishikawa)

Built in the early Meiji period to honor the founding father of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshiie. It is notable for a unique gate with stained-glass windows that is a fusion of Japanese and Western architecture. The back gate to the shrine is also one of the few remaining parts of the original castle: a gate from the palace compound that escaped destruction when it was moved to the shrine. "Oyama" was the original name for the hill on which Kanazawa Castle was built.

587m

36.56638889136.65527778

Myōryū-ji

The tour guides insist there is no connection between the 'Ninja Temple' and actual ninja assassins. But with 23 rooms and 29 staircases, an impressive array of trapdoors and hidden rooms, and a sepukku (ritual suicide) chamber, it is easy to see why people would make that assumption. Visitors cannot enter the temple except through the tours, so call ahead to book a tour. The tour is conducted in Japanese, but they give travellers a folder with English translations. Local lore has it that there was an underground tunnel from the castle to the temple, to allow the Maeda lords an escape route in case of attack. However, no documentary proof of this has been found, and, like the ninjas, it merely adds to the myths of the place. Unfortunately, the staff have a well-deserved reputation (amongst Japanese and foreigners) for being rude and unhelpful. ¥1,000 for adults and ¥700 for primary school pupils, and you're supposed to make a reservation in advance, although they can usually squeeze you in if there's space and you don't mind waiting for your tour to begin. The hour-long tour is well worth the price.

956m

36.55536111136.64902778

Kanazawa Castle

At the center of Kanazawa is the former site of Kanazawa Castle. It has been vacated by the national university, which took over the site once used by the Ninth Division of the Imperial Army, the castle is public space now for the first time in its 400-plus years of history. The imposing Ishikawa Gate (石川門), so named as it faced the Ishikawa district, was once a side entrance to the castle grounds, but after several fires and man-made destruction, it is one of the few original buildings left on the site, the other being the Sanjikken Nagaya (三十間長屋) storehouse near the top. However the long Gojikken Nagaya (五十間長屋) that once guarded the castle palace has been rebuilt according to traditional methods, and is open to the public for ¥300.

1.0km

36.564317136.659228

Kenroku-en

The most famous sight in Kanazawa, the Garden of Six Attributes is considered one of Japan's Top 3 gardens. Once the outer pleasure gardens of the Maeda Lords, it gradually expanded to take over the entire block. While not completed in its final form until the waning years of the Edo Shogunate, it still represents one of the peaks of Japanese strolling garden design. The way in which water is piped from many kilometres upstream to fill its streams and ponds before going on to fill the castle moats is one of the great engineering feats of the Edo period. In part of the grounds, and with a steep separate ¥700 entrance fee, is the Seisonkaku Villa, built by a Maeda lord for his mother. Only part of it remains today, but is a rare example of existing daimyo palace architecture. The upper floor, with its bright blues and reds, is in distinct contrast to the muted earth tones of Kyoto style. During cherry blossom season, entry to the park is free and it's open and lit up until 21:00. There will be many guides yelling from their electronically amplified megaphones: "These gardens are particularly famed for their tranquility, appreciate the peace and stillness"!

1.4km

36.561944136.6625

Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum

Entry ¥250 (more when special exhibitions are held). 09:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30). Housed in three long brick buildings, restored armouries from the time when the area was used by the Imperial Japanese Army, it features a chronological display of local history in a modern and well-laid-out setting. There is also an area for hands-on history, where you can try on various outfits, including samurai armour. As with most tourist sites in Kanazawa, an English-language pamphlet is available.

1.6km

36.55861111136.66277778

Maruoka Castle

castle

56km

36.152347136.272097

Japan Alps

series of high snow-topped mountains in the center of Honshu

63km

36137

Inuyama Castle

one of the 12 Japanese castles still in existence which were built before the Edo period

110km

35.38833333136.93916667

Hikone Castle

castle

124km

35.27638889136.25166667

Nagoya Castle

Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan

127km

35.18555556136.89861111

Matsumoto Castle

building in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan

149km

36.23888889137.96916667
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Someday we will visit Kanazawa or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Kanazawa

Kanazawa (金沢) is a historic city in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan.

Kanazawa was one of the few major Japanese cities to be spared destruction by air raids during World War II, and as a result, much of Kanazawa's considerable architectural heritage has been preserved.

Kanazawa is located in north-western Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan and is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and Toyama Prefecture to the east. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. The eastern portion of the city is dominated by the Japanese Alps. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Hakusan National Park.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

7°C1
Precipitation: 270 mm

Feb

7°C1
Precipitation: 172 mm

Mar

11°C3
Precipitation: 159 mm

Apr

17°C8
Precipitation: 137 mm

May

22°C13
Precipitation: 155 mm

Jun

25°C18
Precipitation: 185 mm

Jul

29°C22
Precipitation: 232 mm

Aug

31°C24
Precipitation: 139 mm

Sep

27°C20
Precipitation: 226 mm

Oct

21°C13
Precipitation: 177 mm

Nov

16°C8
Precipitation: 265 mm

Dec

10°C3
Precipitation: 282 mm
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