Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the Maeda clan, lords of the Kaga Domain worth one million koku. Since Maeda Toshiie entered in 1583, it served as the political center of the domain for about 280 years. The main tower was struck by lightning and burned in 1602, never to be rebuilt, but the Hishi Yagura, Gojikken Nagaya, and Hashizumemon Tsuzuki Yagura were faithfully reconstructed in wood in 2001.…

The site of Kanazawa Castle was originally occupied by Oyama Gobo, a fortified Jodo Shinshu temple town (jinamacho), which was captured in 1580 by Sakuma Morimasa on the orders of Oda Nobunaga and converted into a fortress. In 1583, Maeda Toshiie entered the castle and it became the seat of the Maed…