The Kenroku-en Garden is one of Japan’s most famous gardens, and is often listed as one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan”. The Kenroku-en Gardens can be found in Kanazawa City, a short walk from the equally famous Kanazawa Castle.
Kenroku-en was originally the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle and dates back to the Edo period, around the 1620’s. It was developed by the ruling Maeda family. The Maeda Clan was among the wealthiest clans in Japan at the time, and the gardens and castle reflect this, with the garden grounds alone covering 25 Acres (10.11 Hectares). The gardens were privately controlled by the Maeda clan, but were later open to the public in the mid 1870’s.
One of the gardens key features is the Kasumi-ga-ike Pond, a central pond that serves as the garden’s focal point. Along the shores of this pond, you can find the iconic Kotoji Toro stone lantern (the two-legged lantern). This lantern is an iconic image of Kenroku-en and Kanazawa itself. The stone lantern is an icon of Kanazawa due to it’s unique appearance among other stone lanterns across Japan, and encapsulates the Japanese artistic aesthetic of Wabi-sabi – the art of simplicity, imperfection and natural beauty. Standing on the shores of the pond, the stone lantern creates a picture perfect scene.
Kenroku-en gardens change with the seasons, and therefore is a yearround attraction. In spring, the plum and cherry blossoms turn the gardens pink and white. In Summer, the lush greenery pops around the central pond. In Autumn, the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow. Lastly in the winter as snow blankets the town, the pristine snow contrasts the dark greens of the Karasaki Pines.
Hours and Admission
- 7:00am-6:00pm (March - mid October)
- 8:00am-5:00pm (Mid October - end of February)
- 320JPY
Accessing the Kenroku-en Garden
Kenroku-en Gardens can be found next to the Kanazawa Castle Grounds. From JR Kanazawa Station, the gardens are approximately a 30 minute walk.
Alternatively, there is bus line 11B, 12 and 18 you can take from Kanazawa Station which cut the journey time down to about 15-20 minutes, costing 210 JPY.
A taxi from Kanazawa Station will take about 10 minutes, and cost around 1000-1500JPY one way.
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Where to Stay
Hotel Forza Kanazawa
Prime location, chic rooms, and exceptional service—perfect for your Kanazawa getaway
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Hotel Trend Kanazawa Ekimae
Comfort meets convenience just steps from Kanazawa Station, with economical rooms to suit your budget and needs
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the square hotel KANAZAWA
Modern hotel with high value for money with stylish rooms and fantastic views.
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