Gojikken Nagaya - Kanazawa castle

The Gojikken Nagaya is a long, low structure with a distinctive white-plastered exterior and dark, diamond-shaped tiles lining the walls. It served as a massive storehouse and defensive wall for Kanazawa Castle, stretching fifty ken, or about ninety meters, in length. When the castle faced the threat of fire in the eighteen hundreds, the architect insisted on using non-combustible materials like stone, tile, and heavy plaster to protect the daimyo’s precious grain reserves and armaments from embers and invading forces.