Kanazawa, a large, modern city on the west coast of Honshu [Japan's main island] is scattered with cultural and architectural relics from the days when it was the centre of the wealthy and sophisticated Maeda clan. Without doubt the finest remnant of those feudal days is the magnificent Kenrokuen [Kenroku-en] Garden, a 17thC-19thC creation that belonged to the adjacent castle [Kanazawa-jo] and is now a showpiece of classic, controlled and laborious Japanese gardening style and one of Japan’s finest natural works

Kenrokuen: roku means six in Japanese and the original designers of this garden were given six objectives – originally conceived in China- to fulfil this project.
It should:
1] be large 2] be clearly designed by man 3] offer spacious views 4] use water features 5] have a tranquil and comforting ambience 6] encapsulate the traditional Japanese attitude to recreating nature.
Kenrokuen satisfies all six aims with stunning combinations of flowing water, stone lanterns, moss, flowers or blossom depending on the season and trees painstakingly hand-manicured with branches not lopped but propped at aesthetically pleasing angles.
Natural, no. Fantastically calming and perfectly balanced, yes. On a sunny day no one with any artistic, let alone gardening sensibilities can fail to be awed by this piece of work, nor by the amount of maintenance it still clearly requires!

Kenrokuen Garden is open 7am – 6pm March to mid October, 8am – 4.30pm in winter. Try to visit early or late in the day and not at the weekend. In winter, tree branches are supported by shapely conical rope work radiating from the trunk, to avoid snow damage.
Kanazawa Castle, home of the Maeda for 500 years was destroyed by fire many years ago and partially reconstructed; it is nearby and worth a stroll for any tourist wandering Kenroku-en.

Kanazawa’s Nagamachi district is another worthy sight, a quiet place of high mud walls where the Maeda clan’s elite samurai warriors used to live. The Nomura Samurai House is open to the public and also offers a pleasing, if small, garden.

The Higashi Geisha district is another ancient and well-preserved Kanazawa attraction, a cluster of narrow streets lined with 19thC wood-slat tea houses where geishas would meet and entertain wealthy customers. These days tourists pay to visit traditional houses, drink very expensive green tea that they are unlikely to appreciate, or shop for gold leaf art forms…

Gold leaf cake for tea? Actually makers claim that small quantities of gold alleviate some complaints, such as rheumatism. It certainly alleviates wealth.
98% of Japan’s gold leaf is produced in Kanazawa and goes on and in just about anything imaginable.
Shop here for superb, bizarre, gold-oriented souvenirs that are not as pricey as you might think.

Kanazawa tourism is made easy with a day ticket, hop-on hop-off bus originating from the train station.
Other excellent tourist activities in the city include some fine museums, especially the futuristic 21stC Museum of Contemporary Art, the 15thC ‘Ninja’ temple of Myoryu-ji with its interior secrets and trickery [but only with a guide] and the labyrinthine bustle of Omicho Market – a great place to eat seafood.
Goodbye Kitty!