Feb 29, 2024
Day Trips – Kanazawa
Nestled along the western coast of Japan, Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture is a great example of modern Japan settling side-by-side with its history. It is a city that retains much of its classic samurai-era charm through its labyrinthine and meticulously preserved historical districts. It is also a city of surprisingly pastoral beauty, thanks to the famed landscaped gardens of Kenrokuen Garden. At the same time, due to its world-class contemporary art museum, it is also a Mecca of modern art. All of this and much more make Kanazawa an excellent destination for a day trip from Nagoya.
Kenrokuen Garden
Right in the center of Kanazawa, you can find the serene and beautiful oasis that is Kenrokuen Garden. Kenrokuen literally means ‘Garden of the Six Sublimities’, relating to Chinese landscape theory that the six attributes of seclusion, antiquity, spaciousness, artificiality, abundant water, and broad views, are required to create a perfect garden, and all are very much in abundance here. Constructed by the ruling Maeda clan between the 1620s and 1840s, this 25-acre sprawling garden is considered to be one of the “Three Great Gardens of Japan.” Thanks to its variety of flowering trees, it is stunning in all seasons, particularly in spring.
As well as the blooming trees and the stunning ponds, there are also walking trails that lead up to higher ground affording glorious views of the entire garden. After all that exertion, visitors can relax and eat delicate sweets in teahouses or meander along Pedestrian Way, a pathway lined with cherry trees, restaurants, and shops. However, it is advised that you not spend too much time relaxing as you will want to see as many of the garden’s features, such as the oldest fountain in Japan, a Karasaki Pine tree planted from seed by the 13th lord Nariyasu, and Kaiseki Pagoda, which is said to have been donated to the Maeda clan by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Where: 1 Kenrokumachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0936 (map)
Website: pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kenrokuen/
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Just across the road from Kenrokuen, you can find the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. One of Japan’s most popular art museums, it is circular in shape with no main entrance, with the intention that visitors approach it – and thus the artworks within – from no particular direction, encouraging creative discovery. Designed by the acclaimed Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, it hosts works from acclaimed contemporary artists from both Japan and around the world.
From avant-garde sculptures to experimental multimedia installations, the museum’s eclectic array of exhibits reflects the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art. As well as regularly rotating new installations, it also exhibits thought-provoking permanent displays, such as James Turrell’s Blue Planet Sky and Leandro Erlich’s Swimming Pool, the latter of which you can get right inside, as if you were floating beneath the surface. With numerous education programs for all ages, as well as interactive exhibits, it is popular with children and adults alike, and a great many hours can be lost wandering from room to room. This is a ‘must see’, though as a word of warning, it can get busy on weekends and holidays leading to huge queues, so it pays to purchase tickets in advance from convenience store ticket machines before you arrive.
Where: 1 Chome-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8509 (map)
Website: kanazawa21.jp
Kanazawa Castle and Park
Just a 10-minute walk from the museum, Kanazawa Castle stands upon a natural plateau, making it in the Warring States period (15th-16th centuries) an advantageous position of defence, and the seat of local power from the 15th century. In the late 16th century, it was given to the great general Maeda Toshiie, and his ancestors ruled over the land for the following three centuries. Under Maeda rule, Kanazawa flourished, becoming a cultural center celebrated for its craft ware, silver and gold ware, and fine silks.
Though the castle was blighted by fires over the centuries, much of it was rebuilt in the 1990s, and it remains a proud symbol of Kanazawa’s history and culture. Today the castle stands in sprawling park grounds, including Gyokuseninmaru Garden, replete with a picturesque pond and a walking path, all of which is free to enter.
Where: 1-1 Marunouchi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0937 (map)
Website: pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kanazawajou
Higashi Chaya-gai Geisha District
Equally charming and timeless is the old geisha district of Higashi Chaya-gai. Stepping into the winding streets feels like returning to a bygone era, with its lantern-lit alleyways and cobblestone pathways. Established in 1820 to entertain rich merchants and nobility, throughout the district you can find beautifully preserved machiya townhouses adorned with intricate lattice windows and wooden facades, as well as traditional teahouses, where the geisha once plied their trade.
One such house is Ochaya Shima, which has been preserved in much of its original form and now serves as a museum for the area. Here you can learn how the geisha lived their daily lives as you sip refreshing green tea and eat delicious sweets. Kaikaro, on the other hand, is an actual working geisha house where you can see the geisha perform, though it is only open to the general public in the day, with the evenings reserved for its wealthy patrons.
Where: 1 Chome Higashiyama, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0831 (map)
Website: city.kanazawa.lg.jp
Image: By Kyle Hasegawa via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0] Modified
Image: By Tom Waterhouse via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0] Modified
Image: By Images George Rex via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0] Modified
Image: By Alejandro González via flickr.com [CC BY 2.0] Modified
Bert Wishart editor
Novelist, copywriter and graduate from the most prestigious university in Sunderland, Bert whiles away his precious time on this Earth by writing about popular culture, travel, food and pretty much anything else that is likely to win him the Pulitzer he desperately craves.
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
About the author