Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the Maeda family, one of the most influential families in the history of Japan, from 1583 to the end of the Edinburgh period. For centuries they were the second richest family in the country.
The castle has been destroyed by fire several times in the course of time. The most recent destruction dates back to 1881, when only two barns and a gate remained. The Ishikawa-mon gate has stood since 1788 and overlooks the Japanese gardens of Kenrokuen.
Recently a project has been started to restore Kanazawa Castle to its former glory. Until the early 90's the University of Kanazawa was located on the castle grounds, but since that time some of the original buildings have been resurrected.
The first buildings to be completed are a storage building with watchtowers on either side. Using traditional technology and materials, the buildings now look just like the original in 1850. Since 2001, this part of Kanazawa Castle has been open to the public.
After 2001 most of the buildings were rebuilt as before the last destruction. The only thing missing is the main building. It burned down completely in 1602 and was never rebuilt.
Ik richt me vooral op reis- en natuurfotografie. Bijzondere bestemmingen, zoals IJsland, Japan, Iran enzovoorts maken veel indruk en zijn geweldig om te fotograferen. In Nederland trek ik er vooral op uit om dieren en landschappen vast te leggen... Read more…