Oct–NovA Nichiren temple that looks like two storeys and has four floors, 29 staircases and a well in the floor. You see it only on a 40-minute guided tour, booked by phone.
Myōryū-ji (妙立寺), the "Ninja Temple", can be visited only on a guided tour, booked by phone on 076-241-0888 (English is fine on the line). Tours take about 40 minutes and cost ¥1,200 (children ¥800, cash only). They run 9:00–16:00 on weekdays and to 16:30 at weekends and holidays. The temple takes bookings from one month ahead. The tour is in Japanese only.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Booking | Phone only, 076-241-0888, no email. Reservations open one month before the visit and stop when the tour is full; same-day places exist when there is room. No booking by a third party. English is accepted on the phone. |
| Tour times | Weekdays 9:00–16:00, one tour an hour. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 9:00–16:30, a tour every 30 minutes. Call for the day's schedule. |
| Admission | Adults ¥1,200, children ¥800 (elementary school, bring an ID for lower grades). Cash at the entrance; no cards or e-money. |
| Arrival | Entry starts 10 minutes before your time and the tour starts on schedule. Arrive late and the booking is cancelled. |
| Tour length | About 40 minutes. |
| Language | Japanese only. Interpreting during the tour is not allowed, even by a companion. Ask about the English booklet when you phone. |
| Who can go | Preschool children are not admitted. |
| Inside | No shoes and no photography on the tour. |
| Closed days | 1–2 January and Buddhist memorial service days. Open on Mondays, when the museums are shut. |
| From the station | Castle Town Loop Bus left loop, about 20 minutes (¥220) to Hirokōji, then a 3–5 minute walk. Address 1-2-12 Nomachi. |
Booking, tour times, price and rules checked 27 Oct 2026 against the temple's own English page (the phone number and one-month rule are its current wording). The temple asks you to call for the day's schedule.
Built as a prayer hall for the Maeda lords and fitted like a fortress.
From outside it looks like a two-storey temple. Inside there are four floors across seven levels, 23 rooms and 29 staircases, with hidden stairs, trapdoors, a lookout and a well said to connect to Kanazawa Castle.
The nickname does not mean ninja lived here; it comes from how complicated the building is.
The temple was built in 1643 under Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord of the Kaga domain, and moved from near Kanazawa Castle. It served as a prayer site for the lords and as an outpost-like fortress among the Teramachi temples.
Tall buildings were restricted at the time, which is why a four-floor hall is built to look like two.
The temple sits in the Teramachi temple district, on the quieter side of the Sai River. Nishi Chaya, the smallest of Kanazawa's three geisha districts, is about 6 minutes' walk, and its small museum, the Nishi Chaya Shiryōkan, is free.
It is the part of Kanazawa that residents use, not tour groups.
Reserve first. The tour is the only way in.
Have the number of adults and children (with the ages of the children), the names, nationalities and your way of travelling ready. You will be asked to confirm that the tour is in Japanese only. Our itinerary page lists the phone as answered 8:30–17:00.
Left loop of the Castle Town Loop Bus from the East Exit to Hirokōji, then 3–5 minutes on foot. Buses run about every 15 minutes. Day pass ¥800.
If you are doing Nishi Chaya in the same afternoon, walk to the temple along the Teramachi side street; leave time for the 10-minute early arrival.
Myōryū-ji, 1-2-12 Nomachi, Kanazawa 921-8639.
Five things to know before you dial.
Three places in the Korinbo and Tatemachi area, a short bus or walk from Nomachi.
A renovated machiya in central Kanazawa with a modern interior behind a traditional exterior, a good fit for a trip about old buildings.
A long-established chain hotel in Korinbo, about 10 minutes' walk to Kenrokuen, with restaurants on the doorstep for after the tour.
A public-service hotel open to all guests at reasonable rates, on the Kenrokuen side of town and a short bus ride from Hirokōji.
By phone only, on 076-241-0888; the temple does not take email bookings. Reservations open one month before the visit and close when the tour is full. English is accepted on the phone, and the tour itself is in Japanese only.
Adults pay ¥1,200 and children ¥800, in cash at the entrance. The guided tour takes about 40 minutes. Preschool children are not admitted.
No. The guide speaks Japanese only and interpreting during the tour is not allowed. Ask about an English booklet when you book. Photography and shoes are not allowed inside.
A reservation is required. Same-day places can exist when a tour has room, but weekends fill early, so phone first. The temple is open on Mondays and closed on 1 and 2 January and on Buddhist memorial service days.
Take the left loop of the Castle Town Loop Bus from the East Exit to Hirokōji, about 20 minutes and ¥220, then walk 3 to 5 minutes. The address is 1-2-12 Nomachi.
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