Kanazawa Castle Park — Attraction in Kanazawa

Real beauty of a castle grounds, I could totally see myself ruling a kingdom from this place. An absolute fortress, I did not notice until my second visit a day later, but upon exiting from beneath the bridge that leads to the Kenroku-en Garden, if you walk alongside that stone road beneath the bridge to the other side of the castle grounds, there is a moat, sort of, ha ha. The castle grounds from every angle really puts into perspective how massive this place was.

Throughout the park there is also several outdoor exhibits that highlight the architecture and building techniques used to build the walls and parts of the castle. Even some neat cross sections of how they were built.

Custodians tending to the property do an outstanding job, I am not too familiar with standards a caretaker takes in other castles or temples, but watching one custodian gently brush the moss with a broom and remove all the fallen pine needles and debris from the moss, a section of ground so remote I don’t think anyone would have appreciated, really says something about the care this site receives. I can not comment on how the staff feel about it of course, but judging from the smile on the one custodians face, I can’t help but feel he was happy to be doing what he does.

Overall, awesome place to walk around and explore with several nice vantage points for viewing the surrounding city and mountains of Kanazawa.

Also, I went during 20°C day in Feb which was nice, but brutally warm. And a second time during cloudy day with light rain. If I had to choose, easily cloudy day with rain, place and surrounding area look so much richer in colour and atmosphere. Nature just bursts into action when it’s raining here and as a bonus,...

Kanazawa Castle Park is a stunning and peaceful place to explore, rich with history and surrounded by beautiful gardens and open spaces. What really sets this site apart is the incredible restoration work—many of the castle structures have been meticulously rebuilt over the past 20+ years using traditional techniques and materials, preserving the authenticity of the original construction. It’s not just a historical site—it’s a living example of Japanese craftsmanship.

The grounds themselves are free to explore and offer plenty of scenic walking paths, seasonal flowers, and great photo opportunities, especially in spring and fall. But the real highlight is entering the restored buildings, such as the Gojukken Nagaya (long storehouse) and the Hishi Yagura (watchtower). For a small admission fee, you can walk through the interior, watch short documentary-style videos explaining the restoration process, and even try fitting some of the wooden joinery pieces together—no nails or screws involved. It’s a hands-on way to appreciate the ingenuity behind traditional Japanese architecture.

The park is clean, quiet, and very well-maintained. It’s located right next to Kenroku-en Garden, so visiting both in one trip makes for a perfect day. Whether you’re interested in history, architecture, or just looking for a peaceful stroll, Kanazawa Castle Park is absolutely...

Undoubtedly a must-see place if you visit Kanazawa. At a walkable distance from the bullet-train station (also with plenty of bus options), there's no reason not to visit. The many gardens and open areas are free to visit, strongly recommended to stroll around. One particular area - to the East of the castle - is so densely covered with tall trees it feels like hiking in a forest, providing a brief retreat from the bustling city. From the outside, the castle itself is, honestly, underwhelming, but you absolutely need to go inside and learn about its history and particularly its mind-boggling diamond-shaped tower. Take you time to think about the complex engineering that the carpenters of that time had achieved. There's also a 40 minute documentary about the reconstruction project - the castle was rebuilt in the early 2000s - but unfortunately it is in Japanese only. One trivia I learned from it: in order to rebuild the castle, they had to catalogue all the rocks remaining at the site of the ruins that stood there before the reconstruction, and 80% of them were reused as the foundation of the newly rebuilt buildings. When you buy the tickets to go inside the castle, get the bundle that includes the neighboring Kenrokuen garden, yet another beautiful gem you will not...