Visit Japan Web Myoryu-ji
Visit Japan Web invites you to explore Myoryu-ji, commonly known as Ninja-dera. It is a Buddhist temple in the Nichiren sect located in Kanazawa. Despite not being directly associated with ninjas, the temple earned its nickname due to its numerous deceptive defenses.
In 1585, the founding daimyo of Kaga Domain constructed a chapel within Kanazawa Castle as a place of prayer for the domain. In 1643, the third daimyo of Kaga Domain, moved the chapel to a new site in the Tera-machi district south of the castle and commissioned the construction of a complete temple. The layout and location of the temple were part of the domain’s defensive strategy against potential attacks by the central government.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate imposed stringent building restrictions as a means of weakening regional lords. It has significant defensive features, escape routes and hidden tunnels. It also enables its defenders to alert the castle in the event of an attack.
The Tokugawa shogunate imposed a ban on constructing buildings taller than three stories. The temple appears to be a two-story structure from the outside. But it actually consists of four stories with a seven-layer internal layout.
The temple is centered around a 25-meter-deep water well, rumored to connect to a tunnel to Kanazawa Castle. Its main building has a complex layout, including a middle floor and middle-middle floor, with 23 rooms and 29 staircases. It incorporates various deceptive features to outsmart enemies. For example, hidden chambers and stairs, trap-like doors and floors, secret tunnels and escape pits. The lookout at the top provides a panoramic view of the surroundings. Moreover, the temple’s walls and roof are incredibly robust and resilient, capable of withstanding typhoons and heavy snow.
