Kanazawa Castle (金沢城, Kanazawajō) was the home of the powerful Maeda family who governed the region for 280 years from the late 16th century up until the end of the Edo period. Since its early days, the castle has been pivotal to Kanazawa and the city has developed around it. The castle buildings have been lost several times to fires over the centuries, and some were demolished in the years after the Meiji Restoration, but today all the mains gates and many other areas of the original castle have been reconstructed and there is much for visitors to see. The castle grounds are free to enter, but there is a small fee to go inside the two reconstructed turrets and adjoining warehouse. Kanazawa Castle was designated a National Historic Site in 2008.
