Originally built in 1580 this massive structure was called the 'castle of 1000 tatami' and housed the Maeda clan for 14 generations until it was ultimately destroyed by fire in 1881. The elegant surviving gate Ishikawa-mon (built in 1788) provides a dramatic entry from Kenroku-en; holes in its turret were designed for hurling rocks at invaders. Two additional buildings, the Hishi-yagur a (diamond-shaped turret) and Gojikken-nagaya (armoury), were reconstructed by traditional means in 2001. Restoration and archaeological work is ongoing.
