Kanazawa City is located in central Ishikawa Prefecture. As the prefectural capital and the largest city in the Hokuriku region, it is highly accessible; the Shinkansen from Toyama to Kanazawa takes only 19 minutes, while a local train ride takes about an hour.
Upon arriving at Kanazawa Station, you are greeted by the famous Motenashi Dome and Tsuzumi-mon Gate. Located at the station’s East Exit, the Motenashi Dome was designed with the concept of “holding out an umbrella to those arriving in Kanazawa—a symbol of hospitality,” inspired by the shape of a Noh drum. Its massive dome resembles a large umbrella and is constructed from 3,019 panes of glass and aluminum alloy. The Tsuzumi-mon Gate draws its design from the drums used in “Kaga Hosho,” a traditional performing art of Kanazawa. An underground plaza is also located within the station complex. In 2011, the U.S. travel magazine Travel & +Leisure’s online edition selected Kanazawa Station as one of the “14 Most Beautiful Stations in the World,” making it the only station in Japan to make the list.
After leaving the station, I walked toward Kenroku-en. It was raining, but many sections of the sidewalk along the way were covered with arcades to shelter pedestrians from the rain, which was very thoughtful. The commercial scene here is noticeably more developed than in Toyama, with stores for various outdoor brands, including a large Montbell shop along the route.
On the walk to Kenroku-en, you pass the renowned Omicho Market. Established during the Edo period, Omicho Market has been an integral part of Kanazawa’s food culture for over 300 years. This sprawling market houses more than 170 shops, including numerous fishmongers selling fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan. There are also greengrocers and fruit stands offering local specialty produce, as well as seafood shops, clothing stores, general goods stores, and restaurants.
The market was incredibly crowded, with a large number of Western tourists.
Passing through Omicho Market brings you to Kanazawa Castle Park. While the original castle was not well preserved, the park itself is worth visiting, especially for its beautiful autumn scenery.
Kanazawa Castle was once the seat of the Maeda clan, who ruled the Kaga Domain (present-day Ishikawa and Toyama) for over 280 years. Many parts of the castle, including the original main keep, were destroyed by two major fires throughout its long history, though numerous structures have since been reconstructed. Among the longest-surviving structures are the Ishikawa-mon Gate, rebuilt in 1788, and the Sanjukken Nagaya Warehouse, rebuilt in 1858. Both are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
During the Maeda clan era, Kanazawa Castle was surrounded by moats and functioned as a fortress, featuring loopholes for matchlock rifles in its outer walls to defend against enemies. The beautiful white tiles on the roof are made of weathered lead, and the walls are finished with white plaster and flat tiles. The stone walls throughout the castle vary in style, clearly indicating that many were built during different periods; the oldest stone walls date back over 400 years. Before the restoration of Kanazawa Castle and its park, the site served many different purposes. For a time, it was used as a base for the Imperial Japanese Army and later as the campus for Kanazawa University, before being designated a National Historic Site in 2008.
Exiting Kanazawa Castle Park through another gate leads directly to Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, covering an area of approximately 11.7 hectares. Originating in the mid-17th century as a feudal garden built in the outer enclosure of Kanazawa Castle by the Kaga Domain, it is a representative strolling pond garden of the Edo period. Along with Koraku-en in Okayama City and Kairaku-en in Mito City, it is celebrated as one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens.
While extensively incorporating “strolling-style” landscaping elements, it also integrates gardening techniques from various eras, combining the best features of many styles. Unlike gardens meant to be viewed while seated from temple quarters or palace studies, strolling gardens maximize land use by excavating large ponds, constructing artificial hills, and dotting the landscape with pavilions and tea houses, requiring visitors to walk through to fully appreciate every view. Because the garden features ponds scattered throughout, winding streams connecting them, artificial hills formed from the soil excavated for the ponds, and a diverse array of beautifully arranged flora, it is also referred to as a “strolling garden with artificial hills, woods, and springs.”
The name “Kenroku-en” derives from the Song Dynasty poet Li Gefei’s “Record of the Celebrated Gardens of Luoyang,” referencing six attributes of an ideal garden: “Spaciousness, Seclusion, Artificiality, Antiquity, Water Features, and Panoramic Views.” (Original text: “People of Luoyang say that among the merits of gardens, six cannot coexist: those striving for spaciousness often lack seclusion; those excelling in artificiality often lack antiquity; those abundant in water features are difficult to survey panoramically. Only the Lake Garden possesses all six. Having visited it myself, I find this to be true.”)
In 1676 (Enpo 4), Maeda Tsunanori, the 4th lord of the Kaga Domain, relocated the administrative office situated on the slope facing Kanazawa Castle into the castle grounds and built a private villa called “Renchi-tei” (Lotus Pond Palace) on the original site, along with a surrounding garden then known as “Renchi-tei Garden.” This was the predecessor to Kenroku-en and served as a venue for successive lords and senior retainers to entertain guests, until it burned down in 1759 (Horeki 9). Fifteen years later, in 1774 (An’ei 3), the 10th lord, Maeda Harunaga, began reconstructing the Renchi-tei Garden, completing it in 1776 (An’ei 5). The 11th lord, Maeda Narinaga, announced his retirement in 1819 (Bunsei 2) and built a retirement residence on Chitose-dai. Three years later, the “Takezawa Palace,” comprising over 200 rooms, was completed and named “Kenroku-en” by Matsudaira Sadanobu.
Having previously visited Koraku-en in Okayama, I must say that the landscape of Kenroku-en offers far greater depth and is significantly more beautiful.
Inside the garden, there is a small shop where you can enjoy tea and sweets, as well as purchase souvenirs.
Outside the gate, there are many shops, including one called Hakuichi, which sells gold leaf ice cream. As the originator of gold leaf ice cream, their prices are a bit high, but the product is visually stunning. Gold leaf itself is tasteless and indigestible; since it is not permitted as a food additive in China, this is a rare opportunity to try it.
Gold leaf is a representative traditional craft of Kanazawa City, renowned for its extreme thinness (only about 0.0001–0.0002 mm) and high quality. Accounting for over 99% of Japan’s gold leaf production, it is widely used in decorative crafts, architecture (such as Kyoto’s Kinkaku-ji Temple), cosmetics, cuisine, and desserts (like gold leaf ice cream).
Nearby, there is also a specialty coffee shop called SWAY COFFEE ROASTER. They make excellent coffee at affordable prices, making it a perfect spot to rest tired feet. From there, you can take a bus directly back to Kanazawa Station.
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