Kenroku-en Garden

Located beside Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en is celebrated as one of the most exquisite daimyo gardens in Japan. Developed over generations by the powerful Maeda clan, feudal lords of the Kaga domain, the sprawling 11.4 hectare garden is designed in a strolling style, in which visitors can wander through varied landscapes, with large ponds, miniature hills, waterfalls, and carefully placed landscapes that change with the seasons—cherry blossoms in spring, irises in summer, vibrant maples in autumn, and the iconic sight of its pine trees shielded from heavy snow by intricate rope structures known as yukitsuri.
The garden’s name, “Kenroku-en,” is a reference to the “six virtues” of an ideal landscape: spaciousness and seclusion, artifice and antiquity, water and panoramic views. Strolling its paths, one senses both the natural beauty and symbolic depth intended by its creators, who saw the garden as a projection of eternal prosperity.
Today, Kenroku-en remains a beloved cultural treasure, designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and in addition to a stroll through the vast grounds, you can experience tea service in a setting of timeless elegance when you visit.