Tourist spot in Kanazawa city

Kenrokuen garden [兼六園]

Kenrokuen
Kenrokuen

An arbor in Kenrokuen
An arbor in Kenrokuen

Map of Kanazawa city

Kenrokuen is a Japanese garden located about 2.5 km southeast of JR Kanazawa station.
And it is just to the southeast of Kanazawa Castle Park.

Kenrokuen is one of the Three Famous Gardens in Japan, along with Kairakuen in Mito city and Korakuen in Okayama city.

It is about 10 hectares wide.
The shape is like a rectangle with the longest side about 400 meters long and the short side about 300 meters long.

First, Maeda Tsunanori, the 5th lord of Kaga Clan, built a Japanese garden near Kanazawa Castle in 1676.

The castle and this garden was destroyed by fire in 1759, but this garden was reconstructed in the 1770s.

Then Maeda Nariyasu, the 13th lord, expanded the garden in 1837, and he named this garden "Kenrokuen".

Since 1874, this garden has been opened to the public.

An entrance gate of Kenrokuen
An entrance gate of Kenrokuen

Walking trail in Kenrokuen
Walking trail in Kenrokuen

There are seven entrance gates in all sides of the site.
You can enter the garden from your favorite gate.

There is a large pond in the center of the garden, and some brooks, hills, and forests are set up around it.

The stone lantern by the pond is well-known as the scenery of the garden.
(It is called "Kotoji-Tôrô".)

And a few small arbors are dotted in the garden.

By the pond in Kenrokuen
By the pond in Kenrokuen

A fountain in Kenrokuen
A fountain in Kenrokuen

There is a fountain, which is the oldest in Japan.
It doesn't use any motive energy such as electric pump but only potential energy.

Kenrokuen in winter
Kenrokuen in winter

Yukitsuri in Kenrokuen
Yukitsuri in Kenrokuen

Before winter, many trees in the garden are protected from heavy snow by "Yukitsuri".

The trees are given extra support by bamboo poles with ropes attached to limbs.
The scenery also has its own charm.

The work of installing is done within November, and the removing is done from the middle of March.

Kenrokuen

How to get here

By route bus (Kanazawa Loop Bus [Right Loop] or Kenrokuen Shuttle), about 16 to 20 minutes from Kanazawa station to Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Park stop.

Other Tourist Attractions in Kanazawa

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