In 1583, Maeda Toshiie, a vassal of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, received Kanazawa Castle and later rebuilt it basing the improvements on his experiences of sieges and attacks during the Japanese invasions of Korea. It would be home to 14 generations of the Maeda clan. The Ozaka-mon Gate was established as the main gate, and the Ishikawa-mon Gate was the rear gate. Construction of the ishigaki, moats, etc. were carried out, creating the layout of the current castle. After completion Kanazawa Castle was listed in ancient documents as "The finest castle besides Osaka and Suruga." For many years the ruins were the site of Kanazawa University, but in 1996 Ishikawa Prefecture purchased the castle grounds from the national government and began the reconstruction. The wooden restoration of various watchtowers, gates, gardens and other structures was completed in 2001, and restoration work is ongoing.