Myoryuji Temple (Ninja-dera)

Two storeys from outside, a maze of hidden stairs and trapdoors inside. Kanazawa's "Ninja Temple" was built by the Kaga domain as a defence against the shogunate.

Not a ninja house but a temple built like a fortress

Myoryuji Temple (Ninja-dera) belongs to the Nichiren school, a Buddhist school founded by the Kamakura-period monk Nichiren. It stands south of the Sai River in Kanazawa, in the Teramachi temple district, where many temples are clustered together. It is known as the "Ninja Temple", but according to the temple's official website it has nothing to do with ninja: the name comes from the way the building is designed, which resembles a ninja house. There are no ninja experiences or shows here.

According to the temple's own history, it was built in 1643 on the orders of Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord of the Kaga domain (the domain ruled by the Maeda family), by moving a kiganjo (a place for praying for the domain's safety and prosperity) out of the castle, and it moved to its present site in the 1650s. At the time the Kaga domain was constantly watched with suspicion by the Tokugawa shogunate, and Toshitsune is said to have gathered temples together on the far side of the river from the castle town so they could serve as a demijiro (an outpost fort protecting the main castle) in an emergency. Myoryuji is said to have been at the heart of this, and the whole building is laid out like a complicated maze.

Hidden stairs, trapdoors and a lookout tower

From the outside it looks like a two-storey building, but according to the Kanazawa City tourism association the inside is divided into seven levels with 23 rooms. The temple's official website says there are 29 staircases alone.

The highlights are its many tricks. The offertory box (the box where you drop money when you pray) at the entrance to the main hall was made so that it could be used as a trapdoor, and if you lift the floorboards of a storeroom a hidden staircase to the level below appears. On one staircase, shoji (wooden screens covered with paper) along the side let in light while allowing defenders to see the shadows of an enemy's feet from outside and attack. On the roof is a lookout tower, from which you could once see as far as Kanazawa Castle and the Kaga plain. The audience room used by successive lords of the domain and its attached tea room for the daimyo also survive.

Visits are by guided tour, booked by phone

You can enter the temple grounds without booking, but the building itself can only be seen on a guided tour, which must be reserved. Bookings are by phone only, and the person visiting must make the call themselves. You can book by phone in English, but the tour is only in Japanese, and companions are not allowed to interpret because it disturbs other visitors. The tour takes about 40 minutes, and as a rule you cannot leave part-way through.

The nearest bus stop is Hirokoji, which you can reach by local bus from Kanazawa Station. There is no dedicated car park, so use public transport. Check opening hours, prices, closing days and the date bookings open on the official website.

Tips

• Children below school age cannot enter the building. For children in the lower years of primary school, you are asked to bring something that proves their age (such as a health insurance card).
• Photography and recording are not allowed inside, and you cannot use your mobile phone. Focus on the guide's explanations during the tour.
• If you are late for your booked time, your booking is cancelled. Entry starts 10 minutes before the booked time, so arrive with time to spare.
• The admission fee can only be paid in cash (according to the official website).

Sources

• 由来・見所｜日蓮宗／正久山 妙立寺（忍者寺） (opens in a new tab)
• 予約方法｜日蓮宗／正久山 妙立寺（忍者寺） (opens in a new tab)
• よくある質問｜日蓮宗／正久山 妙立寺（忍者寺） (opens in a new tab)
• Myouryuji Temple (Ninja Temple) - English (opens in a new tab)
• 妙立寺（忍者寺）｜観光・体験 - 金沢市観光協会 (opens in a new tab)

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.