Kenrokuen Garden - MACHIYA RESIDENCE INN KANAZAWA

【Holiday Business Hours】Between 2024/12/30~2025/01/03, reservations & inquiries will be accepted via email.

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In & Around Kanazawa :
A Local City Guide created by our Staff

The Most Beautiful Garden in Japan, Kenrokuen

In Japan, you’ll often hear the phrase “San-dai” (三大〇〇), which translates to “The Top 3 〇〇”, and is used to rank the ‘Top 3’ of many things. You’ll find that these curated lists rank everything from natural landscapes, food, to the unusual: “Top 3 Temples in Japan”, “Top 3 Mountains in Japan”, “Top 3 Places to Eat Ramen in Japan”, “Top 3 Airports in Japan”, “Top 3 Sake Breweries”, and more.

In this feature, we will showcase one of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’- Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, Japan. Although the ranking of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’ has been acknowledged by the people of Japan, the list’s origins remain unclear and is often debated. Whether or not this is a definitive list of the ‘Three Great Gardens of Japan’, Kenrokuen Garden is definitely a traditional garden worthy of being on any list of must visit places in Japan.

Unofficially, the 'Three Great Gardens of Japan' are the following: Kenrokuen Garden (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture), Korakuen (Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture), and Kairakuen Garden (Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture). Although each of these gardens showcase three very different atmospheres, there is one aspect that they hold in common - all of these gardens are designed to not only be looked at, but to leisurely stroll around in.
Kenrokuen Garden was built by the Maeda Clan, a powerful samurai family that ruled over most of the Hokuriku Region of Japan, during the 17th century. Originally built as a private garden and villa to be enjoyed by feudal lords, Kenrokuen Garden grew to become a place where the Maeda Clan would entertain important visitors and senior vassals. The 'Kotojitoro' Lantern & 'Nijibashi' bridge are several recognizable elements of the Kenrokuen Garden.
The origin of Kenrokuen's name comes from the writings of an ancient Chinese poet who describes 6 contradictory garden elements that cannot be included in a singular garden. "It is vast, but still holds depth. It features man-made elements, but is moving (emotionally). There are an abundance of lakes and waterfalls, but beautiful, sweeping views." Kenroku translates to "combination of 6" - referring to these 6 supposedly unattainable attributes that Kenrokuen holds to create the 'perfect garden'.
You may be surprised to find out that there are several tea houses and restaurants at Kenrokuen Garden. The tea house pictured above is known as 'Uchihashi-tei' - a tea house built in 1776. It sits right above the water, providing guests not only a mesmerizing view, but the illusion that it is floating on top of the water. Here, you can enjoy a traditional Japanese meal, traditional confectionary sweets, and of course, tea. As there is limited seating, we recommend making a reservation. Please feel free to ask our staff in assistance with any reservation requests.
In the summer and spring, you can view the lush greeneries, and the vibrant green of Japanese moss covering the garden grounds. In the fall, the leaves turn into colorful shades of red and orange, while the winter season brings snowcapped 'yukitsuri' trees - an iconic symbol of Kanazawa city. With over 25 acres, Kenrokuen is the perfect place to spend strolling around. A bonus: if you are an early morning riser, Kenrokuen garden offers free admission during designated times & months throughout the year. Ask our staff for more information!
After visiting Kenrokuen Garden, it is only natural to want to visit the grand Kanazawa Castle, located just across the bridge. Unfortunately, the castle has been burnt down multiple times over the course of history, but Kanazawa city has been able to successfully reconstruct the castle using traditional construction methods, in addition to relying on existing building plans to rebuild Kanazawa Castle. If you will be visiting Japan sometime soon, Kenrokuen Garden & Kanazawa Castle are a must-visit, and one of our recommended places to visit in Japan.