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Kanazawa, Japan
Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the Maeda daimyo from 1583 until its destruction by fire in 1881. It was partly rebuilt in modern times, although many buildings (including the keep) were not recreated. What the visitor sees today is just a sample, not the whole castle.
Although the castle suffered damaging fires throughout the three centuries of its existence, it nevertheless provided a secure foundation for Maeda power, and protection and prosperity to the town of merchants and samurai retainers that rapidly grew up around it.
The rebuilt structure, seen from the east in this photo, has three parts. At the photo right is Hishi Yagura, a three-story watchtower. The long building in the middle is Gojikken Nagaya, which was both a storehouse for castle weapons and a strong wall for castle defence. At the photo left is a watchtower called Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura, so-named because it overlooks the Hashizume Gate.
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