Castles Near Kanazawa
Kanazawa survived World War II without air raids, leaving its castle district, geisha areas, and samurai neighborhoods largely intact. Kanazawa Castle itself — extensively restored with original-style wooden reconstruction techniques — commands a strategic hilltop above the famous Kenroku-en garden. The Hokuriku region stretching from Ishikawa south through Toyama and Fukui offers a compact concentration of castles along a corridor that was once one of feudal Japan's most contested zones of control.
Maruoka Castle in Fukui, just 30 minutes south by local train, is one of Japan's twelve surviving original tower castles and one of the oldest. Echizen Ono Castle, an hour from Kanazawa, is famous for its autumn sea-of-clouds phenomenon — a hilltop castle floating above morning fog in the valley. The Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kanazawa to Tsuruga since 2024) has dramatically improved regional connectivity, though many castle towns in the region are best reached by local train or bus.
In Kanazawa & Ishikawa
Ishikawa Prefecture castles — Kanazawa and the surrounding region
Kanazawa Castle
金沢城 · Kanazawa-jo
📍 Ishikawa — Chubu
The silver-roofed castle of Japan's wealthiest samurai clan — best experienced alongside Kenrokuen, the garden that its lords spent 300 years perfecting next door.
Nanao Castle
七尾城 · Nanao-jo
📍 Ishikawa — Chubu
Uesugi Kenshin's two-year siege objective — a mountain castle that resisted Japan's greatest commander and fell only to disease and treachery, not military assault.
Torigoe Castle
鳥越城 · Torigoe-jo
📍 Ishikawa — Chubu
The last stronghold of the Ikko-ikki — where Japan's century of Buddhist peasant rule ended in 1580 under Shibata Katsuie's brutal suppression.
Suemori Castle
末森城 · Suemori-jo
📍 Ishikawa — Chubu
Where Maeda Toshiie's 3,000 men routed 8,000 besiegers in a dramatic night relief — the battle that secured Maeda dominance in Hokuriku Sengoku history.
Toyama Prefecture
Takaoka, Toyama, and surrounding castles — 30–60 minutes by Hokuriku line
Takaoka Castle
高岡城 · Takaoka-jo
📍 Toyama — Chubu
A castle that existed for only 6 years before demolition — but its spectacular water moats survived and are now one of Japan's most beautiful castle parks.
Toyama Castle
富山城 · Toyama-jo
📍 Toyama — Chubu
Sassa Narimasa's Hokuriku stronghold — a parkland castle whose spring moat reflections rival its historical drama.
Masuyama Castle
増山城 · Masuyama-jo
📍 Toyama — Chubu
One of Ecchu's three great mountain castles — the Jinbo clan's ridge fortress that resisted Uesugi Kenshin until it could resist no longer.
Matsukura Castle
松倉城 · Matsukura-jo
📍 Toyama — Chubu
An alpine mountain fortress with stunning views over the Toyama Plain and Japan Alps — one of Hokuriku's most scenically spectacular ruins.
Fukui Prefecture
Maruoka, Echizen Ono, and surrounding castles — 30–90 minutes south of Kanazawa
Maruoka Castle
丸岡城 · Maruoka-jo
📍 Fukui — Chubu
Possibly Japan's oldest castle tower — small, dark, and steep-staircased, Maruoka's ancient authenticity makes it a pilgrimage for serious castle enthusiasts.
Echizen Ono Castle
越前大野城 · Echizen Ono-jo
📍 Fukui — Chubu
The Hokuriku 'Castle in the Sky' — an autumn cloud sea phenomenon lifts this modest concrete reconstruction into one of Japan's most photographed castle scenes.
Fukui Castle
福井城 · Fukui-jo
📍 Fukui — Chubu
A government inside a castle — the original Edo-period moats and stone walls of Fukui domain's capital, now surrounding a modern prefectural government office.
Kanagasaki Castle
金ヶ崎城 · Kanagasaki-jo
📍 Fukui — Chubu
The hilltop where Nobunaga made his most desperate retreat in 1570 — and where Hideyoshi first proved himself as a battlefield commander.
Obama Castle
小浜城 · Obama-jo
📍 Fukui — Chubu
The sea castle that controlled Kyoto's fish supply — perched on a Wakasa Bay promontory with rivers and sea as moats, and stone walls that never got their tower.
Getting There from Kanazawa
- Kanazawa Castle: 15-minute walk from Kanazawa Station through the city, or 5-minute walk from Kenroku-en garden. The castle park is free; the reconstructed palace buildings have separate admission.
- Maruoka Castle: About 30 minutes from Fukui Station (Echizen Railway Mikuni-Awara Line to Renge Station, then taxi or walk). First take the Hokuriku Shinkansen or Thunderbird express from Kanazawa to Fukui (25–30 min). One of Japan's twelve original towers.
- Echizen Ono Castle: About 1 hour from Kanazawa — Hokuriku Shinkansen or Thunderbird to Fukui, then Echizen Railway Etsumi-Hoku Line to Etsumi-Hokuline Katsuyama-eki, then local bus. Famous for autumn fog views.
- Takaoka Castle: About 30 minutes from Kanazawa by Hokuriku Shinkansen or Ainokaze Toyama Railway. Takaoka Park is a pleasant free castle site with the original stone walls.
- Hokuriku Shinkansen: Extended to Tsuruga in March 2024, connecting Kanazawa with Fukui in about 20 minutes. Significantly improves access to Fukui Prefecture castles. JR Pass valid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kanazawa Castle?
Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the Maeda clan, the wealthiest feudal domain outside the Tokugawa shogunate, from the late 16th century until the Meiji Restoration. The original keep burned down in 1602; major palace buildings, gates, and turrets were reconstructed in 2001 using traditional wooden techniques and original-style roof tiles. The grounds sit adjacent to Kenroku-en, widely considered one of Japan's three greatest gardens. The outer park is free; palace buildings charge admission.
Which is the best castle near Kanazawa?
Maruoka Castle in Fukui is the top recommendation for history — one of Japan's twelve original wooden tower castles, among the oldest surviving structures. Echizen Ono Castle is less well-known but exceptional in autumn for its sea-of-clouds phenomenon. Within Ishikawa Prefecture, Nanao Castle ruins north of Kanazawa and the mountain castle of Torigoe offer interesting alternatives for those seeking ruins over reconstructed buildings.
Is Maruoka Castle the oldest castle in Japan?
Maruoka Castle is often cited as one of the oldest surviving castle towers in Japan, with its foundation dating to 1576 (Oda Nobunaga period). The tower itself is believed to be largely original, though there is some scholarly debate. It is one of Japan's twelve surviving original tower castles and is designated a National Important Cultural Property. Maruoka is about 50 minutes from Kanazawa via Hokuriku Shinkansen/Thunderbird to Fukui, then local train.
What is Echizen Ono Castle famous for?
Echizen Ono Castle is famous for its autumn sea of clouds — a hilltop castle that appears to float above morning fog in the valley on clear cold mornings in late October and November. The castle itself is a 1968 concrete reconstruction, but the atmospheric setting (a small town nestled in a basin surrounded by mountains) is genuinely dramatic. A viewpoint on the surrounding hillside gives the best perspective.