Kanazawa’s “Ninja-dera”

A Temple with Traps & Hidden Doors

Ninja-dera is a temple in Ishikawa Prefecture’s city of Kanazawa. I had intended to only include this attraction as an afterthought in my area guide for the region. Despite my initial plan though, I was so overwhelmed by Ninja-dera that I decided it needed its own article. This place EASILY ranks among my top 10 best hidden gems so if you’re in the area be sure not to skip it.

Officially known as Myoryu-ji (lit. “Oddly Built Temple”), on paper Ninja-dera is just another Buddhist temple from the Nichiren sect. Don’t let it’s appearances deceive you though. The inauspicious structure hides a covert fortress filled with traps and secret doors. Though technically a religious facility, the local lords designed Ninja-dera to serve as a defensive outpost in the event of an attack.

From the outside, Ninja-dera appears to follow the feudal era regulations that forbid structures over three stories. The temple’s interior however is an entirely different matter. Due to the fact that only monks could venture past the main sanctum, the structure’s true purpose remained undisclosed. Officially Ninja-dera has four floors but when one takes into account all the hidden levels, this total rises to seven.