どこを見ても美しい城です。特に美しいのが石垣で、石垣の博物館とも言われ、16世紀以降の様々な時代の石垣を見ることができます。
Kanazawa Castle is beautiful wherever you look. Its stone walls are particularly impressive. Often referred to as a “Museum of Stone Walls,” the castle features a remarkable variety of stonework dating from the 16th century onward, reflecting different periods of Japanese history.
この城が美しい背景には、加賀藩の財力と加賀藩の育んだ文化があると言われます。加賀の前田家は江戸幕府から警戒されていたこともあり、文化の振興には、幕府との対立を避けながら威信を示すという意味もあったと考えられています。そのため、茶道、能楽などの文化が栄え、数々の伝統工芸品が生み出されました。その美意識のためか、金沢城は日本でも有数の美しさを備えています。しかし、その美しさの裏で、敵の侵入を防ぐための工夫も随所に見られます。この城には、数々の見どころがあります。
The castle’s beauty is said to reflect both the wealth of the Kaga Domain and the rich culture it fostered. The Maeda family, who ruled Kaga, was viewed with suspicion by the Tokugawa shogunate because of its immense power and wealth. Promoting culture is thought to have been one way for the family to demonstrate its prestige while avoiding confrontation with the shogunate.
Under the Maeda family’s patronage, cultural traditions such as the tea ceremony and Noh theater flourished, and numerous traditional crafts developed. Perhaps this refined aesthetic sensibility is one reason why Kanazawa Castle is considered one of Japan’s most beautiful castles.
Yet behind its elegant appearance, the castle also incorporates numerous ingenious defensive features designed to protect it from enemy attacks. There is so much to discover here.
とにかく広いです。門も主要なものだけで3つの門があり、兼六園から行くなら石川門、正門である河北門、格式の高い橋爪門、その他にも門があります。どの順番で回るのか事前に決めておかないととてつもなく歩くことになります。
The castle grounds are enormous! Among its many gates, three are particularly notable: Ishikawa Gate, which is convenient if you are coming from Kenroku-en Garden; Kahoku Gate, which served as the castle’s main entrance; and Hashizume Gate, a prestigious gateway leading into the castle’s central area. I highly recommend planning your route in advance, or you may find yourself walking much farther than expected.
特に印象に残ったのが、本丸です。かつて金沢城の中心である本丸がありましたが、今では木々が生い茂っています。壮麗な建物はなくなっても草木はそのままに生い茂る、という光景を見て、「国破れて山河あり、城春にして草木深し」という杜甫の詩を思い出しました。
What impressed me most was the Honmaru, the site of the castle’s former main enclosure. Once the heart of Kanazawa Castle, the area is now covered with trees and lush vegetation.
Standing there, looking at the greenery growing where magnificent buildings once stood, I was reminded of a famous passage from Spring View, a poem by the Chinese poet Du Fu:
“The nation is shattered, but mountains and rivers remain;
Spring comes to the city, and grasses and trees grow deep.”
次は、尾山神社に行きました。
After exploring Kanazawa Castle, I headed to Oyama Shrine.
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