JAPAN | Kanazawa Castle – Kenrokuen Garden – Higashi Chaya District

Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and back to Tokyo. Three weeks plus some extra days.

After Tokyo, we took a two-hour shinkansen ride to Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, our first stop outside Tokyo. As we arrived around midday, we had time for Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden and the Higashi Chaya District.

Kanazawa Castle

Kanazawa Castle (金沢城, Kanazawa-jō) is a large, partially restored Japanese castle standing beside the celebrated Kenrokuen or Kenroku-en Garden, which once served as the castle’s private outer garden. The castle was the headquarters of the Kaga Domain, ruled by the Maeda clan for fourteen generations from the Sengoku period until the Meiji Restoration in 1871.

During the late Muromachi period, followers of the Jōdo Shinshū sect known as the Ikkō-ikki displaced the Togashi clan, the official governors of Kaga Province, and established a theocratic republic known as the ‘Peasants’ Kingdom‘. Their principal stronghold was the Kanazawa Gobō, a fortified temple complex on the tip of the Kodatsuno Ridge.

Protected by hills and rivers, it became a natural fortress and the nucleus of the castle town that would grow into the city of Kanazawa. In 1580, Oda Nobunaga sent Sakuma Morimasa to conquer Kaga Province. After his victory, Sakuma began developing the moats and town layout, but following Nobunaga’s assassination, he sided with Shibata Katsuie and was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces under Maeda Toshiie at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583.

Maeda Toshiie then established Kanazawa as his base, ruling the vast Kaga Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. In 1592, he ordered the castle to be completely reconstructed, drawing on lessons from Japan’s invasions of Korea, and enlisted Takayama Ukon, a Christian daimyō renowned for castle design, to assist. The new castle originally had a six-storey keep, which burned down in 1602 and was never rebuilt. Instead, the Inner Bailey became home to the Maeda clan’s residence, with a three-storey turret.

The castle suffered a major fire in 1631 and underwent extensive modifications. The Second Bailey was enlarged, the Tatsumi Canal was constructed through the grounds, and the residences of senior retainers were relocated outside the moats. The castle was again destroyed during the Great Kanazawa Fire of 1759. After the Meiji Restoration, the site was handed over to the Imperial Japanese Army in 1871 and served as the headquarters of its 9th Division.

A fire in 1881 destroyed most of the remaining buildings in the Second Bailey. From 1949 to 1989, part of the grounds were used by Kanazawa University. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 2008.

Most of the present-day structures are reconstructions based on the castle’s appearance in the 1850s.

Surviving historical buildings include the Ishikawa Gate (built in 1788), the Sanjukken Nagaya, and the Tsurumaru Storehouse, all designated Important Cultural Properties.

Several other structures have been reconstructed using traditional methods, including the Hishi Yagura turret, the Gojikken Nagaya warehouse, and the Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura turret in 2001.

Gates such as the Kahoku-mon (2010), Hashizume-mon (2015), and Nezumitamon Gate with its bridge (2020) have also been rebuilt.

The final phase of restoration, known as the ‘Heisei Castle Construction‘ began on 9 March 2025 with a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ninomaru Palace, once the largest building in the castle complex and the administrative centre of the Kaga Domain. Ishikawa Prefecture plans to gradually restore the reception hall where the domain lord conducted government affairs.

Although the Maeda clan were second only to the Tokugawa in power, their position was not entirely secure, and Kanazawa Castle was designed for strong defence.

It occupies the highest ground between the Sai and Asano rivers, with an intricate system of moats and canals for protection. The inner moats, built by Maeda Toshinaga, measured over 3,000 metres in total, while outer moats were added between 1600 and 1614. A network of canals constructed from 1583 to 1630 provided drinking water and linked to the moats, extending for nearly fifteen kilometres.

The castle complex was divided into nine enclosures, separated by earthen ramparts, stone walls, and fortified gates, surrounding the main bailey where the Maeda family resided. The Second Bailey (Ni-no-maru) housed the administrative buildings of the Kaga Domain. Buddhist temples were strategically placed around the town to reinforce weaker defensive areas, serving as potential refuge points in case of attack. The castle’s roof tiles are made of lead, chosen for their fire resistance; legend holds that in times of siege they could be melted down and used to make bullets.

Today, Kanazawa Castle stands within extensive landscaped grounds featuring large lawns, wooded areas, and a number of reconstructed and surviving gates, walls, and outbuildings, offering visitors a glimpse into the grandeur of feudal Japan.

Kenroku-en Garden

Kenroku-en (兼六園), meaning ‘Garden of Six Attributes‘, is a strolling-style landscape garden. It was created during the Edo period by the Maeda clan, the rulers of the former Kaga Domain. Together with Kairaku-en in Mito and Kōraku-en in Okayama, Kenroku-en is celebrated as one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens and is admired for its beauty in every season, especially during winter.

Covering over 25 acres, it features winding paths, ponds, bridges, teahouses, and one of Japan’s oldest working fountains. The garden was opened to the public in 1871, designated a National Site of Scenic Beauty in 1922, and elevated to the status of a National Site of Special Scenic Beauty in 1985.

Kenroku-en developed gradually between the 1620s and 1840s under successive Maeda lords. Its origins are uncertain, but one version traces its beginnings to the completion of the Tatsumi water channel in 1632 by Maeda Toshitsune, the third daimyō of the clan, whose waterway was later incorporated into the garden’s meandering streams.

Another version attributes its creation to Maeda Tsunanori, the fifth daimyō, who in 1676 built the Renchiochin villa facing Kanazawa Castle and designed its surrounding grounds as the Renchitei (‘lotus pond garden’). The garden, originally forming the castle’s outer grounds, was enjoyed by the Maeda lords for banquets, moon-viewing, and seasonal festivities. However, most of it was destroyed in the Great Kanazawa Fire of 1759.

A local legend about the Sacred Well of Kenroku-en tells of a peasant named Togoro who once washed his potatoes in the well, only to see flakes of gold rise from the water — inspiring the name ‘Kanazawa’ meaning ‘Marsh of Gold‘. The well still provides water for purification rituals at a nearby shrine and for the tea ceremony.

One of the oldest surviving structures in the garden is the Shigure-tei teahouse, built in 1725. It miraculously survived the 1759 fire and continued to be used during the Meiji period, later being restored and relocated to its original section of the garden. Another important feature, the Kaiseki Pagoda, now located on an island in Hisago Pond, may date back to the early 17th century. Some theories claim it was originally part of a thirteen-tiered pagoda from the Gyokusen-in garden within Kanazawa Castle, while others say it was brought from Korea by Kato Kiyomasa, presented to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and later given to Maeda Toshiie.

Restoration of the garden began in 1774 under the eleventh daimyō, Harunaga, who created the Emerald Waterfall and built the Yugao-tei teahouse. His successors continued to improve the landscape: in 1822, the twelfth lord Narinaga developed the winding waterways using the Tatsumi channel, and the thirteenth lord Nariyasu expanded the Kasumi Pond and added more streams. By the mid-nineteenth century, Kenroku-en had largely taken the form seen today. The garden was opened to the public on 7 May 1874.

The name ‘Kenroku-en’ was given in 1822 by Matsudaira Sadanobu, inspired by the Chinese classic ‘Chronicles of the Famous Luoyang Gardens‘, which describes six attributes of an ideal landscape — spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, watercourses, and panoramas.

Sadanobu noted that these qualities are difficult to achieve simultaneously because they often contrast: vastness can conflict with intimacy, artificial beauty with natural antiquity, and abundant water with distant views. Kenroku-en is regarded as a rare example that successfully balances all six.

Open areas around Kasumigaike Pond evoke spaciousness, while wooded hills like Tokiwaoka provide seclusion. Artificial features such as lanterns, bridges, and pagodas blend harmoniously with natural rocks, trees, and water. Elevated viewpoints within the garden offer wide panoramas of the Japan Sea and the distant Iozan mountains.

Kenroku-en contains around 8,750 trees and 183 species of plants. Its most notable features include Japan’s oldest functioning fountain, which operates through natural water pressure; the Yugao-tei, a teahouse dating from 1774; and the Shigure-tei rest house, originally built by Maeda Tsunanori and reconstructed in 2000.

The Karasaki Pine, grown from a seed brought from near Lake Biwa by Maeda Nariyasu, is one of the garden’s best-known trees.

The two-legged Kotoji-tōrō stone lantern, resembling the bridge of a koto (Japanese harp), has become an emblem of both Kenroku-en and Kanazawa. The Gankō-bashi, or Flying Geese Bridge, is made of eleven red stones arranged to resemble geese in flight, while the Kaiseki Pagoda is said to have been a gift from Toyotomi Hideyoshi to the Maeda family.

During winter, Kenroku-en is particularly admired for its yukitsuri — elegant arrays of ropes extending from tall poles to the branches of trees, designed to protect them from heavy snow while maintaining their graceful form. The garden remains open year-round and continues to be one of Japan’s most beloved examples of classical landscape design.

Higashi Chaya District

The Higashi Chaya District (東茶屋街, Higashi Chayagai) is one of Kanazawa’s most picturesque and historically preserved geisha districts. Located east of the Asano River, it was officially established in 1820 during the Edo period, when entertainment quarters were moved away from the city centre to designated areas.

The word chaya means ‘teahouse’, but these were not ordinary establishments for serving tea. Instead, they were refined venues where guests were entertained by geisha—skilled performers of traditional music, dance, and conversation.

The district developed under the patronage of the wealthy Kaga Domain, one of Japan’s richest feudal territories, and flourished as a centre of sophisticated nightlife for samurai, merchants, and aristocrats. Its two-storey wooden teahouses, with latticed façades and delicate paper screens, were designed to project both elegance and discretion. The narrow streets, paved with stone and lined with preserved machiya (townhouses), have changed little since the 19th century, making the area one of the best remaining examples of an Edo-period entertainment quarter.

After the Meiji Restoration, many teahouses closed or adapted to changing times, yet Higashi Chayagai retained its charm and authenticity. Unlike some other historic districts that fell into decline, it benefited from early preservation efforts. The area was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2001, ensuring its protection under national heritage law.

Today, several teahouses continue to operate, preserving Kanazawa’s geisha traditions.

The most famous among them is Shima, established in 1820 and now open to the public as a museum. It provides a rare glimpse into the refined world of Edo-era entertainment, with original tatami rooms, lacquerware, musical instruments, and a small garden. Nearby, Kaikaro, another historic teahouse, still hosts performances and offers modern visitors the chance to experience traditional hospitality by appointment.

Beyond its teahouses, the district is known for its craft shops, cafés, and boutiques that celebrate Kanazawa’s long artistic heritage, including gold leaf work, lacquerware, and kutani porcelain. The shimmering gold leaf ice cream sold along its streets has become a modern symbol of the city’s blend of tradition and creativity.

At dusk, the atmosphere of Higashi Chayagai transforms. Lanterns flicker to life, casting warm light across the narrow lanes, and the wooden façades take on a soft amber glow.

Although the days of samurai patrons and exclusive banquets have passed, the district remains a living testament to Kanazawa’s cultural refinement—an elegant balance of preservation and quiet modern life, where the echoes of the past still linger in the sound of shamisen strings drifting through the night air.

A visit of Kanazawa

We combined the three in an afternoon (and evening) and that’s very doable. We could have used more time at Kenrokuen. Kanazawa is very walkable, which is refreshing after megapolis Tokyo.

We were certainly not the only tourists, far from it. But Kanazawa didn’t feel overly crowded.

By coincidence we were there during Kanazawa Pride Week. But besides a sign and a rainbow flag at Kanazawa Station, we didn’t notice ‘extra activities’.

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