Hidden stairs
And trap doors.
Irina Gelbukh — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oren Rozen — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irina Gelbukh — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kentaro Ohno from Tokyo, Japan — CC BY 2.0 · Bernie Ongewe — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo by Haruyuki Mase 間瀬晴之_撮影 — CC BY 3.0 · 金沢市 — CC BY 2.1 jp · MathieuMD — CC BY-SA 4.0
A Buddhist temple of the Nichiren sect in Kanazawa's southern temple district, popularly called the «Ninja Temple» although it has nothing to do with ninja; it earned the name from its many defensive tricks. Maeda Toshitsune, third lord of the Kaga Domain, moved it to its present site in 1643 as part of the domain's defences against a possible attack by the shogunate. The shogunate banned buildings of more than three storeys, so the temple was made to look like two storeys from outside while in fact having four storeys on seven internal levels, with 23 rooms and 29 staircases; it could serve as a disguised military outpost to warn the castle of an attack. Inside are secret rooms, hidden stairs, trap doors and floors, escape pits and a well about 25 metres deep whose bottom is said to join a tunnel to Kanazawa Castle, with a lookout at the top. Its walls and roof are strong enough to withstand typhoons and heavy snow. Visits are by guided tour of about 40 minutes, booked in advance by phone; the fee is 1,200 yen for adults, paid in cash at the entrance, and tours run 9:00-16:00, according to Kanazawa's official tourism site. Tours are mostly in Japanese with an English booklet, per visitor guides.
And trap doors.
About 25 metres.
Four inside.
Nomachi, Teramachi temple district, south Kanazawa
Nagamachi Samurai DistrictAn old residential quarter where upper- and middle-ranking samurai families of t12 minutes walk4.2
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, KanazawaA contemporary art museum opened in 2004 in central Kanazawa, designed by the Pr13 minutes walk3.6
Kenroku-en GardenOne of Japan's Three Great Gardens, with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en: a strolling g18 minutes walk4.3
Kanazawa Castle ParkA large, partly rebuilt castle, seat of the Kaga Domain, which the Maeda clan ru18 minutes walk4.2
Omicho MarketKanazawa's big covered market, nicknamed «Kanazawa's kitchen», with about 170 sh24 minutes walk3.9Yes; visits are by guided tour booked in advance by phone, and the fee is 1,200 yen for adults in cash, according to Kanazawa's official tourism site.