Changes

After having campaigned against the [[Ikko-Ikki]] in [[Kaga Province]] on behalf of [[Oda Nobunaga]], his general [[Maeda Toshiie]] began to make plans to construct a castle to oversee his new lands. He chose the location of the village of Yamazaki (not the same site of the battle involving [[Akechi Mitsuhide]]), which had held a Buddhist temple subdued by Toshiie, upon which to construct it. Construction began upon Kanazawa Castle in [[1580]] and came to a close in [[1592]]. As the fortunes of the [[Maeda]] increased under the reign of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], this castle was rivaled only by [[Osaka Castle|Osaka]] and [[Edo Castle|Edo]] in size and majesty. However, the complex seems to have set the world record for being beset by conflagrations. Beginning in [[1602]] when the tenshu was destroyed by fire, no less than 30 major blazes were reported. The Maeda doggedly continued to repair the damage after each incident, and even initiated new construction (a rarity during the Tokugawa Shogunate when castle construction and repairs were highly restricted and regulated). The major gatehouse-the Ishikawa-mon-was built in [[1788]], and as late as [[1858]] the Maeda constructed a new armory (a two story 30 bay structure, giving it the name of Sanju-ken Nagaya) along with several other structures. The castle finally met its doom when the [[Meiji]] government destroyed the buildings and the second court of the castle was destroyed by fire ([[1881]]).  

After having campaigned against the [[Ikko-Ikki]] in [[Kaga Province]] on behalf of [[Oda Nobunaga]], his general [[Maeda Toshiie]] began to make plans to construct a castle to oversee his new lands. He chose the location of the village of Yamazaki (not the same site of the battle involving [[Akechi Mitsuhide]]), which had held a Buddhist temple subdued by Toshiie, upon which to construct it. Construction began upon Kanazawa Castle in [[1580]] and came to a close in [[1592]]. As the fortunes of the [[Maeda]] increased under the reign of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], this castle was rivaled only by [[Osaka Castle|Osaka]] and [[Edo Castle|Edo]] in size and majesty. However, the complex seems to have set the world record for being beset by conflagrations. Beginning in [[1602]] when the tenshu was destroyed by fire, no less than 30 major blazes were reported. The Maeda doggedly continued to repair the damage after each incident, and even initiated new construction (a rarity during the Tokugawa Shogunate when castle construction and repairs were highly restricted and regulated). The major gatehouse-the Ishikawa-mon-was built in [[1788]], and as late as [[1858]] the Maeda constructed a new armory (a two story 30 bay structure, giving it the name of Sanju-ken Nagaya, which is now known as Gojukken Nagaya)

) along with several other structures. The castle finally met its doom when the [[Meiji]] government destroyed the buildings and the second court of the castle was destroyed by fire ([[1881]]).  

The most interesting role of the castle was not its own history but that of everything that sprang up around it. The Maeda built the famous (and practical) Pond Garden. The streams feeding the garden also served the purpose of supplying the castle town with water, and the terminus of these streams was shaped into a replica of Lake Biwa near [[Kyoto]]. The castle town spawned the Kaga-Hosho school of Noh. Kutani pottery was first made here, and the Maeda lords sent to China and Korea for technical advice on ceramics. The area was also famous for its wrought iron tea kettles used for tea ceremony.

The most interesting role of the castle was not its own history but that of everything that sprang up around it. The Maeda built the famous (and practical) Pond Garden. The streams feeding the garden also served the purpose of supplying the castle town with water, and the terminus of these streams was shaped into a replica of Lake Biwa near [[Kyoto]]. The castle town spawned the Kaga-Hosho school of Noh. Kutani pottery was first made here, and the Maeda lords sent to China and Korea for technical advice on ceramics. The area was also famous for its wrought iron tea kettles used for tea ceremony.