A trip to Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa
We are not really park or nature lovers, and only happened to visit Kenrokuen Garden after a trip to the nearby Kanazawa Castle. Being one of Japan’s “Top 3 most beautiful landscape garden” Kenrokuen (兼六園) sits on the former spacious Kanazawa castle ground and is carefully maintained by the local authorities.
On this hot summer day, we spent an hour or two wandering in the garden that features an abundant of water. One can see that Kenrokuen Garden was designed to be a park suitable for a stroll. With broad view points wide walking path, and small bridges that connect different sections over water.
There are 2 small ponds within the garden, the Kasumigaike pond and Hisagioke pond, that offers a calm and cooling spot for us to take photos with. Unfortunately, during our visit, it wasn’t the season for any special blooms. Kenrokuen Garden is famous for its cherry blossoms in April and maple tress after November. Nevertheless, we were glad to have checked one of the Top 3 gardens in Japan.
Stone lanterns like the below can be seen beside the pond and had become symbolic to Kenrokuen Garden. Although covered with weeds, it has that nature antique feel and is what make it so special.
A 3.5 metres fountain that source its water from the nearby Kaisumigaike pond. It is said to be the oldest fountain in Japan, built in the 19th century.
A huge cherry tree that has its thick branches supported by wooden beam. This is a great way to preserve the tree and ensure that it continues to grow and bloom for the next decades.
Kenrokuen Garden has numerous strolling paths and small bridges that connect different section into one long pathway. The bridges are mostly stone made and blends nicely into the surrounding.
Getting to Kenrokuen Garden is easy by taking the Kanazawa loop bus from the JR station. Upon reaching the area, we rented a bicycle at 100yen an hour and use it to explore the surrounding area. There were also lines of shops and restaurants outside of the garden’s paid area where we ate lunch and bought souvenirs. Admission to the garden is at 310 Yen.
