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You can’t take any photos, there’s an obligatory tour all in Japanese, you have to make a reservation to even get onto said tour – and, frankly, the reviews online aren’t always good. So, how did a trip to Myouryu-ji, Kanazawa’s Ninja Temple, turn out to be one of the highlights of my trip to Kanazawa? Read on and find out…
When I first read the above facts about Myouryu-ji, also known as Ninja-dera, I wasn’t interested in visiting it. It all sounded too hard, especially the reservation bit, as you can’t do it online. But the day came when I was exploring the area of Kanazawa, where Myouryu-ji is located, and as I wandered past, I thought I might as well go and see what the deal was.
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Walking through the sturdy wooden gate and down the path toward the temple, I saw about 25 groups of tourists hanging around waiting for their tours to start. I was pretty sure I was not going in, but a short chat with a lady at the gift shop saw me pointed toward an intercom button on the side of the wall.
A disembodied voice told me the next tour was leaving in 5 minutes. It seems things move faster around here than I thought!
Why is This Temple Special?
Myouryu-ji, aka the Ninja Temple, is named because of its deceptive interior rather than because actual Ninjas lived in it. While it only looks small from the exterior, there are secret staircases, hidden floors, and rooms tucked in spaces you can’t believe they managed to squeeze an entire room into.
AND IT WAS FASCINATING.
In fact it made it to the No1 slot in our Top 10 Things to Do in Kanazawa.
The main complaint people had about the tour in the bad reviews I read was that it was all in Japanese, with English speakers just being given a booklet to read. And yes, the Japanese guide spoke for longer than the words in the English version might indicate, but the booklet told me what I needed to know about what I was looking at—and it’s so interesting.
Even with the limited explanation, I learned a whole load of cool things about the temple—like the fact that at the time it was built, buildings were only allowed to be a maximum of three storeys high—so the owner created a fourth level that couldn’t be spotted from the outside. Concealed subfloors mean there are actually seven different layers to the building. And within those are hidden 23 rooms and 29 staircases.
Secret floorboards and fake panels hide tunnels and passageways that lead from one part of the temple to another in case of attack. And there’s reportedly an underground tunnel in the temple’s well that goes all the way to Kanazawa Castle!
On the tour, you see only a fraction of the temple itself, but what you do see is amazing. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone, but just looking in the building’s smallest room after reading about its design in the booklet gave me chills.
Why Is a Temple Set Up Like This?
This bit isn’t really explained in the tour, at least not in the English booklet, and the temple’s pamphlet is not hugely clear. But I needed to know. After all, you don’t put this much effort into making a place impossible for your enemies to get to you unless you’re someone with enemies – and that doesn’t normally say ‘temple’ to me. So, I investigated. One crash course in Japanese history later, here’s what I discovered.
Originally, Myouriyu-ji was a small place of worship on the grounds of Kanagawa Castle, built by one of the important generals of the day, Maeda Toshiie, as his family temple. In 1643, his son, Maeda Toshitsune, a daimyo (lord of the area) ordered the temple to be moved to a new location and reconstructed – with some additions.
At this time, the daimyo around Japan were in dispute with the government (the Tokugawa Shogunate), which was trying to weaken its powers in the regions and unite Japan as a single country. Restrictions were being put upon them, including on their properties, limiting how many castles they could have, the size of buildings they could build – and, most definitely, around them building any defensive structures.
Therefore, Myouriyuji was constructed under the guise of a new family temple but doubled as a lookout point from which Toshitsune could survey the area and be protected in the event of an attack. He also built other temples surrounding it, where he stationed soldiers to try to foil any attack on the Maeda family by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Now, it makes more sense why a temple, generally considered a peaceful place, is set up to resist an attack by assassins. It was actually a military outpost hiding behind a place of worship. After all, who could complain about the local lord building temples for people to show their faith?
Today, the temple belongs to the Nichiren Buddhist sect and is a place of worship, so visitors are asked to wear respectful clothing and remove hats and sunglasses when they take the tour.
Oh, and if you want to know why the prayer plaques here are dog-shaped, you’ll need to read our guide to Kanazawa’s most interesting shrines – it’s a cute story.
So, Should You Visit Myouryuji?
I loved it. Yes, I can see that some people might find the fact that the Japanese tour seems to give more details annoying – but if the speech in Japanese explains the above history of the temple, I can see why they don’t translate it for tourists.
Understanding what happened in Japan during this historical period, to whom, and why is very confusing if you haven’t already been taught it at school! The version above is horribly simplified and probably leaves out a whole heap of crucial cultural details (for which I apologise!).
Instead, the tour focuses on the temple’s most fascinating part: the lengths that Toshitsune went to to protect his empire.
So do I suggest you visit the temple? Absolutely – go in there with your eyes open. The tour is in Japanese, and you won’t understand it all, but the booklet gives you the basics. There are a lot of rules inside; you will need to remove your shoes and sit on the floor to start with. And, to get you to do all of this, the front-of-house staff can seem a bit intimidating, but once you’re inside, just marvel at how the heck there are 23 rooms in this place!
Useful Information
The temple is located in the Nomachi area of Kanazawa and is open seven days a week from 9 am. The last entry is 4.30 pm in summer and 4 pm in winter.
The tour costs 1200 yen for adults and 800 yen for children. It is only for older children, though; babies and preschoolers can’t enter the temple.
You need to remove your shoes, and the floors are wood, so wear socks that don’t see you slipping all over the place! I have been asked if it’s suitable for those with mobility issues. There are some short sets of wooden stairs, but these have handrails. The biggest challenge could be sitting on the floor while you wait to go in.
You need a reservation in advance, but that reservation can be made on the spot through the intercom. They’ll add you to the next tour with a slot – and they go every few minutes. If you don’t want to leave things to chance, you can also book by phone. The number is 076-241-0888. English-speaking staff are available, or you could ask your hotel to make the call on your behalf. The tour itself takes about 45 minutes.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our 62-page Japan Super Planner, which includes tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. We also have specialised planners like Tokyo Tips, Kyoto Tips, or the Rail Pass Planner. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
What to Do While You Wait?
If you do have to wait a little while to get on a tour, you could explore the nearby Nishi Chaya area, or there are several other interesting temples very close to Myouryu-ji.
Sankoji has an ornate gate and some carvings inside. Kourin ji has an interesting display of Noh masks, and, in the garden outside, you’ll find a wishing trail around statues related to the different signs of the lunar zodiac. Walk around the garden three times, and then once you get back to your sign, or the sign of someone you want to wish for, make a wish. You can also post wishing balls into the open mouth of the white statue in the garden.
A short walk away is also Kanazawa’s quirkiest temple. Gyokuryuji has giant cartoon characters outside, and a Gundam head greets you as you walk into the main gate. There’s a nursery school on the temple’s grounds which may account for all of this – or maybe not. I haven’t been able to find an official reason why there’s a tiny Godzilla and a giant Anpanman in a place of worship!
If you prefer to spend your waiting time relaxing, grab a gold leaf matcha at Hoshiji Cafe, which is a short walk away instead. There’s plenty to do around here.
