Travel / Tourism Spots in Around Kenrokuen Garden Area

  • Oyama-jinja Shrine
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    4.0
    681 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Oyamamachi 11-1
    You’ll find this shrine in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The founder of the Kaga Clan, Maeda Toshiie, and his lawful wife Matsu are enshrined here. It was constructed in 1873, before which time the spirits were enshrined together in Utasu Hachimangu (the present Utatsu Shrine) at the foot of the Mt. Utatsu. The three-level shrine gate was built in 1875 and combines Japanese, Chinese, and Western styles. It has been designated an Important Cultural Property. Vibrant glass fills the third level, giving it an otherworldly appearance when illuminated at night.

    Within walkable distance from Omicho market. We walked from Omicho market via small backstreets, and entered Oyama Shrine via their side entrance. I like the pond in the shrine grounds... it gives...

  • D.T. Suzuki Museum
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    4.5
    447 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Hondamachi 3-4-20
    The D.T. Suzuki Museum in Kanazawa was opened as a place for people to learn about D.T. Suzuki, a renowned Buddhist scholar who was born in Kanazawa, and also as a place for self-reflection. The Museum consists of three halls (the Vestibule, Exhibition Space and Contemplative Space, which are linked by corridors) and three gardens (the Vestibule Garden, Water Mirror Garden, and Roji Garden). The scene of the Contemplative Space building reflected in the shallow pool of water in the Water Mirror Garden is highly photogenic, and has appeared in many different media.

    I absolutely adored this little out-of-the-way museum. I was fascinated by online photos for a long time and had always wanted to visit, but my time in Kanazawa was always too short for a visit...

  • Kenrokuen Garden
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    3.5
    4 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Kenrokumachi 1
    Kenrokuen is a traditional Japanese-style garden in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The garden is said to have been first constructed in the mid-17th century in the outer bailey of Kanazawa Castle as a private garden for the lords of the Kaga Domain; it has been designated as a National Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and it ranks alongside the Kairakuen garden in Mito and the Korakuen garden in Okayama as one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.” Kenrokuen is renowned for its beautiful vistas, which make effective use of how nature changes with the seasons. For example, a special feature of the garden during the winter months is the Yuki-tsuri (ropes attached in a conical array to protect tree branches in a garden during the winter); another seasonal feature is the red and white plum blossom in the plum grove. In 2009 the Kenrokuen garden was awarded three stars (the maximum possible) in the Michelin Green Guide. During the peak tourist season, there is free admission at certain times, and the garden also hosts various special events, such as having the garden illuminated at night, etc.

    七福神山のほぼ真ん中にある石塔です。石材は赤戸室石で、火袋や火口があるので灯籠のようにも見えます。七福神山は福寿山とも称され、七福神に見立てた7つの自然の石が置かれています。

  • Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
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    4.0
    169 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Dewamachi 2-1
    This integrated art museum is located in Dewamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It opened in 1959 and was moved to its current location in 1983. The museum collects and displays various works, ranging from the works of artists associated with Ishikawa Prefecture to the antiques associated with the Maeda Family of the Kaga clan, which are its focus, to Japanese-style paintings, oil paintings and sculptures. It also houses a National Treasure, “Iro-e Kiji Koro (Incense burner in the shape of pheasant decorated with overglaze enamels),” by Nonomura Ninsei, and other important cultural properties. There are seven collection exhibition rooms, which are rotated regularly, to display different works. The café created by a patissier Hironobu Tsujiguchi is also very popular.

    Visited to soak in the local art and was pleasantly surprised by the high quality exhibits. The incense burners are particularly lovely in person, as are some of the other historic exhibits. The...

  • Seisonkaku
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    4.0
    205 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Kenrokumachi 1-2
    Seisonkaku is a retreat which Nariyasu Maeda, the 13th lord of Kaga Province, built for his mother, Shinryuin, in 1863. It is located next to Kenroku-en Garden, a famous tourist place in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The building has been designated as a National Important Cultural Property and its garden as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. The two-storey building with a shingle roof features the Shoin-zukuri architectural style on the first floor and the Sukiya-zukuri architectural style on the second floor. The luxurious interior decorations, such as the Shoin-no-ma with its impressive purple walls and pastel ultramarine ceiling, as well as the drawing room with a beautiful colored ranma openwork screen are particular must sees.

    We really enjoyed walking round this house. If you have the day bus pass for tourists you can save 100 yen. They have lockers for your shoes and umbrellas.

  • Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of History
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    4.0
    91 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Dewamachi 3-1
    A history museum located a three minute walk from the Kenrokuen Garden easily identifiable by its eye-catching red brick structure. This building was once used as an armory by the imperial army as well as a facility for the Kanazawa College of Art and has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. As its name indicates, the museum contains exhibits presenting the history and culture of Ishikawa Prefecture, and visitors can trace the eras of the area, from a reconstruction of a Jomon period dog based on excavated bones, to a recreation of a Showa period Japanese living room. The museum also actively engages in a variety of activities, including holding several planned and special exhibitions throughout the year as well as seminars and lectures by curators. In addition, the museum hosts tours of nearby historical sites and temples.

    重要文化財に指定されている金澤陸軍兵器支廠の兵器庫を活用した歴史博物館である。外観こそ往年の古い赤レンガの佇まいを彷彿させるが、館内は新しく整備されている。とは言え館内の全てが現代風に刷新されているわけではなく、往年の洋館の雰囲気を随所に漂わせている。博物館の展示資料だけでなく、建物自体を探検するのも興味深い。 博物館は1階が常設展示室となっており、2階が特別展示室となっている。常設展示と特別展示...

  • Shiinoki Cultural Complex, Ishikawa Prefecture
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    4.0
    95 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Hirosaka 2-1-1
    "A reception hall created by remodeling the former Ishikawa Government Office built in 1924. The two beach trees on either side of the front entrance are a symbol of the facility; 300 years old, they are even included in the facility's name (""Shiinoki"" means ""beech tree""). Known as the Temple-shaped Beeches, these trees are also designated National Natural Monuments. The side of the building facing Kanazawa Castle Park is covered with floor to ceiling windows, giving it a more modern and fashionable aspect, and these windows are perfect spots from which to view the Kanazawa Castle wall when it is lit up at night. The facility has a restaurant and cafe and is frequently used to host events and exhibitions."

    金沢21世紀美術館のすぐ北側にあるしいのき緑地にあります。昔は県庁だったそうで、まさにレトロモダンという雰囲気の建物です。朝で中は見学していませんが、無料で入ることができ、カフェなどもあるので休憩にもピッタリだと思います。

  • Kanazawa Shrine
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    4.0
    88 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Kenrokumachi 1-3
    "A Shinto shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, seen as a god of scholarship, adjoining the south side of the Kenrokuen garden a 10 minute drive from JR Kanazawa Station. The shrine was originally established to serve as the guardian shrine of the Meirindo, a domain-run school built in 1794 by Maeda Harunaga, the 11th lord of Kaga Domain. The shrine is also dedicated to Hakuja Ryujin, the white snake god also affectionately known as ""Shirohebi-san"" and ""Mi-san"" who provides protection from fire, floods, and misfortune, as well as granting luck in monetary affairs and business. The grounds bustle with visitors during the shrine's New Year's Day festival as well as during the Hakuja and Tenjin festivals held on the 1st and 25th of every month, respectively. The shrine also allows Shinto-style wedding ceremonies to be held in front of the vibrant, vermillion-lacquered main shrine, a designated National Tangible Protected Cultural Property."

    It is a small Shinto shrine near Kanazawa Reitaku. As I went early in the morning, there were some visitors. Seemingly it is a popular place for local people. The gate and the washing basin are...

  • Kanazawa Noh Museum
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    4.0
    77 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Hirosaka 1-2-25
    The Kanazawa Noh Museum is located adjacent to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, on Prefectural Route 10 in 1 Chome, Hirosaka, Kanazawa City. The Museum collects and exhibits masks and costumes from the “Kaga Hosho” tradition (a style of Noh drama that developed in the Kaga Domain), which has been designated an Intangible Cultural Asset by Kanazawa City Government. The Hirosaka district, where the Museum is situated, has a strong association with Noh drama, as this is the district where the old Kanagawa Noh Theatre was located.

    The museum is on the main road and is not in the fine arts museum. We enjoyed taking pictures dressed in the noh outfit. Not much to buy. Super glad we found the place. It near the Kenrokuen. Exit on...

  • Nishida Family Garden (Gyokusen-en Garden)
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    4.5
    66 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Kanazawa-shi Koshomachi 8-3
    The garden of the 400 year old residence of a samurai family which served Kaga Domain. Built by the high-ranking Wakita family, the garden took 100 years to complete. The design of the two-tier, circular strolling garden with a pond is said to have been inspired by a painting of a three-tiered garden with waterfalls created by the Chinese Southern Song dynasty artist-monk Yujian. Notable for its undulating scenery, the garden encourages visitors to stroll around the central pond and take in the differing views which appear as one progresses.

    This place is small version of Kenrokuen and you can visit for free. 兼六園をコンパクトにしたようなお庭ですが、道の舗装されているので歩きやすいです。入り口近くには休憩所もあり暖かい室内で座ることができますよう

  • 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Hirosaka 1-2-1
    The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is housed in an imposing circular, glass-walled building, located in the center of Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The Museum is divided into an Exhibition Zone, for which there is an admission charge, and a Public Zone, with free admission. There are a wide variety of art installations and artworks everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. One particularly popular exhibit is Leandro Erlich’s “The Swimming Pool” (popularly known as “Leandro’s Pool”). From ground-level, it looks as though the people underneath are underwater; this experiential work creates opportunities for fascinating encounters between the people above and the people down below.
  • The Fourth High School Memorial Museum of Cultural Exchange, Ishikawa
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    4.0
    68 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Hirosaka 2-2-5
    A cultural facility housed inside the former Fourth National High School established by the prefecture of Ishikawa to exhibit materials relating to the history of the school and to serve as a space for cultural activities. The red brick museum building, once the primary building of the Fourth National High School, was built in 1891 with a distinct architectural style. After the high school was closed, the building was used for a variety of purposes, including serving as Kanazawa University's Faculty of Science building, a local courthouse, and as a folk customs museum. Today, the facility is used as a museum which displays educational materials once used when it was a high school, and as the Modern Literature Museum, which contains exhibits on literary masters connected to Ishikawa Prefecture such as Kyoka Izumi and Muro Saisei.

    金沢市役所のすぐ近くのいしかわ四高記念公園内にあります。公園の名前がこちらに因んだのでしょうから当然ではありますが。夕方でやや遅かったので外観だけの見学になりましたが、往時のモダンさを感じさせる雰囲気のいい建物でした。

  • Ishikawa-mon Gate
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    4.5
    7 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Kanazawa-shi Marunouchi 1-1 Kanazawa Jo Park Uchi
    Full-fledged construction on Kanazawa Castle was begun in 1583 by samurai general Maeda Toshiie after the Battle of Shizugatake. The rear Ishikawa Gate, facing the Kenrokuen garden, was once known as the Karamete (“back”) Gate. Records state its current name is derived from the fact that it faces the direction of Ishikawa County, and today it is used by countless tourists as one of Kanazawa Castle’s main gates. The complex structure consists of the two–tier, two-story Ishikawa Yagura turret and multiple gates, and it is believed the purpose of this design was to slow enemies in the event of an invasion. At night, visitors can enjoy the beauty of the castle lit up by lights.

    金沢城の東側に位置する門で、石川橋で兼六園につながっています。なかなか立派な門ですが、これでも裏門なんですね。お堀通りを歩きながらちらっと見学したので、門よりも櫓のほうが存在感がありましたが、一体的になかなか良かったです。

  • Korinbo
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Kourimbou
    "Located a 10 minute scheduled bus ride away from the east exit of JR Kanazawa Station, this bustling shopping and business center, one of the biggest in the Hokuriku area, was named after a monk who practiced on Mt. Hiei. The area around the ""Korinbo"" bus stop is surrounded by large shopping malls, making it a convenient destination for shopping, dining, and relaxing. Meanwhile, a short distance away, the Nagamachi Bukeyashiki-dori Street samurai residence district is lined with stone paved alleys and ochre earthen walls reminiscent of the Edo period. Here visitors can find samurai residences open to the public and museums with magnificent old architecture as well as beautiful Japanese gardens, and in turn get a glimpse of what life was like for Japan's ancient warriors. The free 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is also located nearby."
  • Shiguretei
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    3.5
    55 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Kanazawa-shi Kenrokumachi
    One of the six teahouses located in the Kenrokuen garden. The teahouse existed from the time Maeda Tsunanori, fifth lord of Kaga Domain, created the Kenrokuen, and it is believed that it was primarily used for conducting the tea ceremony. The 10 and eight tatami mat rooms on the garden side and the connecting enclosure have been restored based on original ground plans. Until the original teahouse was demolished in the early Meiji period, it stood in front of where the garden fountain is now; the teahouse was rebuilt in its current location in March 2000. Today, visitors can enjoy matcha green and sencha green teas here for a small fee. Many people stop by to have a cup of tea and a Japanese confection while strolling the garden.

    700 Yen and 10 minutes later we got to sit down, drink a cup of tea and eat piece of cake. There is nothing happening, no ceremony, no ambience, just a big room and a bow when the tea is brought.

  • Kaga Yuzen Kaikan
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    3.5
    34 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Kanazawa-shi Koshomachi 8-8
    This is an exhibition and experiential center for the traditional art of Kaga-yuzen's fabric design. It is located in Koshomachi, Kanazawa City. In addition to displays of Yuzen materials, a demonstration of how fabrics are hand drawn can be watched. Small Yuzen items are also for sale. Through the DIY corner and the kimono fitting corner, one can get a taste of Kaga-yuzen concept. Adjoining this museum a hall available for rent for events, and a rest area for use at no cost.

    The staff were super friendly assisting when needed. There is no English, but staff do their best to explain the process to you. My friend and I decided to paint small tote bags, but there are many...

  • Ozaki-jinja Shrine
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    3.5
    44 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Marunouchi 5-5
    The Ozaki-jinja Shrine is a shinto shrine located just to the north of Kanazawa Castle Park, in the Marunouchi district of Kanazawa City. Maeda Mitsutaka, the fourth lord of the Kaga Domain, had the Ozaki-jinja Shrine built in the Kitanomaru (north bailey) of Kanazawa Castle in 1643 in memory of his great-grandfather Tokugawa Ieyasu; the Shrine was moved to its present location in the Meiji period. The main building of the Shrine has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. The Ozaki-jinja Shrine is also known as the Kanazawa Toshogu Shrine.

    宿泊したユニゾイン近くだったので、金沢城に行く途中に立ち寄りました。ぱっと見の名称からはわかりにくいですが、金沢東照宮とも呼ばれるそうで、徳川家康などをお祀りしている場所で、さすがに立派でしたが、尾山神社ほどのインパクトはなかったです。

  • Kanazawa Municipal Nakamura Memorial Art Museum
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    4.0
    35 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ishikawa Kanazawa-shi Hondamachi 3-2-29

    This started as a private collection that was donated to the public. The museum is small and can be viewed in I Hut ion with the Suzuki museum next door. It has s lively garden and the tea ceremony...

  • Kaga-Honda Museum
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    3.5
    30 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Dewamachi 3-1 Ishikawa Red Brick Museum 3rd building
    Located within the Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum grounds in the Dewa Town, Kanazawa City, the Kaga-Honda Museum has around 2,000 precious historical artifacts in its collections, including weapons and armor, old documents, relating to the Honda family, one of the “Hakka” (“eight clans”) families of leading retainers that served the Maeda family (who ruled the Kaga Domain) for generations. The Museum is a marvelous place to learn about the history of the Kaga Domain and about the samurai culture of the Edo period.

    石川県立歴史博物館と同じ、金澤陸軍兵器支廠の兵器庫を活用した博物館で、加賀藩の家老を務めた本多氏の所蔵品が展示されている。 石川県立博物館との共通点として、往年の威容を彷彿させる赤レンガの建物が挙げられるが、内装は異なっており、博物館として刷新され、少なくとも目にした範囲では、石川県立博物館の内部で見られた洋館の面影は感じられない。展示品は古文書や書状が多く、それらの劣化を防ぐためか、石川県立博物...

  • Kanazawa Crafts Hirosaka
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    4.0
    19 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Ishikawa Pref. Kanazawashi Hirosaka 1-2-25 Inside the Kanazawa Noh Museum
    A traditional crafts shop located inside the Kanazawa Noh Museum in Hirosaka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Stocking 20 or more varieties of popular traditional crafts from Kanazawa, a former castle town and cultural leader of the Kaga area, here you’ll find handcrafted postcards created with Kaga yuzen techniques, saikumono handiwork, and more. The shop also carries rarer traditional crafts like Kaga zogan inlay work, Kaga mizuhiki zaiku cordwork, and Kaga kebari lures. At this popular destination, you’ll be able to buy unique Kaga souvenirs which combine the skills of artisans with the chic tastes of a Japanese castle town.

    Fascinating crafts and artwork. Handcrafted, unique gifts. Simply fun to explore the shop. Who might have thought that fishing lures were art? Prices are fair for the caliber of the work.

Ishikawa Areas

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Long, thin Ishikawa prefecture runs along the Sea of Japan up into Noto Peninsula. Highlights of the seaside towns lining the west coast include Kanazawa, often described as a "Little Kyoto" thanks to its old wooden tea houses and geisha culture as well as its picturesque Japanese garden, Kenroku-en.

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