KANAZAWA, Ishikawa Pref. -- Celebrated Japanese novelist Yasushi Inoue once wrote: "Whatever the circumstances, the beauty of (Kanazawa's) castle walls should always be preserved."
Despite Japan's dire economic circumstances, it seems the 1949 Akutagawa Prize-winner's wishes are being granted. Kanazawa is set to unveil next year a 26 billion yen project to restore the original castle walls and rebuild some of the keep, even though it has come under considerable fire from historians and archaeologists.
Originally built in the mid-15th century, the castle grounds were home to the powerful Maeda domain during the Edo Period and later to the military. Kanazawa University was established there in 1949.