Kenrokuen is a gorgeous and expansive park-like garden in the center

of Kanazawa and it is the citys major attraction. Extending over

almost 25 acres, it was once the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle, but
was opened to the public in 1874.

Kenrokuen Garden

Together with Kairakuen Garden in the city of Mito, and Korakuen

Garden in the city of Okayama, Kenrokuen is considered one of the
Three Great Gardens of Japan. Here you will find colorful
seasonal floral displays, streams, ponds, and waterfalls, stone lanterns,
and historical tea houses.
 Irises in May seen from a flower viewing bridge

The garden was created by the ruling Maeda family over three
centuries beginning in 1676 with a landscape garden called Renchitei.
This garden was destroyed by fire in 1759, but was restored in 1774,
and in 1822 the garden acquired its current name Kenrokuen. This
name is sometimes translated as garden of six elements. Actually it
refers to a classical Chinese poem that spoke of the six contrasting
features for a truly outstanding garden. These essential elements are:
extensive space and quiet seclusion, human artistry and old fashioned
elegance, flowing water and distant views. According to the poem it is
almost impossible to create a garden that holds all six elements in
common. However, if you take a stroll through Kenrokuen, you can
actually find them all. Below are just a few of the sights you can see in
this amazing garden.
 This fountain reaches a height of 3.5 meters

The garden boasts Japans oldest fountain which is powered by natural

water pressure and happily combines two of the six traditional
elements in one: human artistry and flowing water.
 Funa-no-ochin a boat shaped arbor

The natural rise and fall of the garden pathways will take you to both
secluded resting points, and then suddenly open out to expansive
views, like that over the Kasumigaike pond.
 Kasumigaike pond and the Uchihashi-tei tea house

The neagari matsu or raised roots pine was planted by the 13th
Lord Maeda Nariyasu.
 The dynamic form of the neagari matsu pine tree

The Yugao-tei tea house on the Hisagoike pond dates from 1774 and is
the oldest building in the garden.
 The Hisagoike pond and Yugao-tei tea house

The haiku poet Matsuo Basho visited Kanazawa in 1689. A poem he

wrote here is inscribed on a stone in his memory. The poem reads:

aka-aka to
hi wa tsurenaku mo
aki no kaze

bright red burning

bitter sun
but autumn in the wind
 The Matsuo Basho memorial stone

There is also a war memorial in the park. The Meiji Memorial was
erected in 1880 to commemorate the deaths of 400 soldiers from
Ishikawa Prefecture who died helping to suppress a rebellion in
Kyushu. The statue is built in the shape of a mythical Japanese hero
called Yamato Takeru who according to ancient legend also
suppressed a rebellion in Kyushu.
 The Meiji Memorial was the first outdoor bronze statue of a human figure to be
erected in Japan

One tree bears the scars of another war. The hole in the pine trees
surface dates from June 1945 when Japan was desperate for resources
and turpentine was taken from trees to be used as fuel for planes.
 Matsu-no-kizu the scarred pine

Happily the trees of Kenrokuen are better cared for these days. In
winter the pine trees in the garden are protected with ropes that are
tied in a cone shaped arrangement to prevent heavy snowfalls from
breaking the branches. These protective ropes are called yukitsuri and
are a famous winter sight of Kenrokuen .
 Workmen tying ropes around the trees in early November

Access and location map

Kenrokuen is located in the center of Kanazawa City close
to Kanazawa Castle Park. To get to Kenrokuen Garden from Kanazawa
Stations East Exit Bus Terminal you can take the Kanazawa Right
Loop Bus from bus stop #7 or the Kenrokuen Shuttle Bus from bus
stop 6. Both buses take about 16 minutes and the fare is 200 yen.