| - One of Japan's Three Most Beautiful Gardens
Kenrokuen Garden is a beautiful Japanese garden with an area of
11.4 hectares located on the heights of the central part of Kanazawa
and next to Kanazawa Castle. The Maeda family, who ruled the Kaga
Clan (the present Ishikawa and Toyama areas) in feudal times, maintained
the garden from generation to generation. From its scale and beauty,
it is regarded as one of the most beautiful feudal lords' gardens
in Japan.
Kenrokuen Garden has a big artificial pond, and hills and houses
are dotted in the garden. Visitors can appreciate the whole, dropping
in at them. The big pond called "Kasumigaike" was compared
to an open sea, and an island, on which an ageless hermit with miraculous
power was believed to live, was constructed in the pond in hope
of the long life and eternal prosperity of the lord. Kenrokuen,
which means "having six factors", was given the name because
of the six attributes that bring out the perfect landscape of the
garden: spaciousness, tranquility, artifice, antiquity, water cources,
and magnificent view from the garden.
There is a stone lantern designed in the image of the Japanese koto (harp)
by the pond, which becomes the symbol of Kenrokuen Garden. There
is a fountain created using the natural pressure of water flowing
from the higher pond.
Visitors can enjoy the beauty of the flowers and trees, such as
plum and cherry blossoms in spring, azaleas and irises early in
summer, and colorful red and yellow leaves in autumn. Besides, visitors
will have a glorious view of seasonal natural beauty including the
snow-covered landscape with yukitsuri (literally means snow hanging),
which is performed for approximately one month from November 1 every
year. This is a method of protecting the branches of the pine trees
in the garden with ropes attached in a conical array to the trees
in order to prevent the branches from breaking. |