Kanazawa, Ishikawa

Kanazawa (金沢市; -shi) is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan.

Sites

Kanazawa was one of the few major Japanese cities to be spared USAF fire bombing during World War II. As a result, Kanazawa's considerable architectural heritage has been preserved.

Related Topics:
USAF - Fire bombing - World War II

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kenrokuen Garden is by far the most famous part of Kanazawa. Originally built as the outer garden of Ishikawa castle, it was opened to the public in 1875. It is considered one of the "three most beautiful gardens in Japan" and is filled with a variety of trees, ponds, waterfalls and flowers stretching over 25 acres (100,000 m²). In winter, the park is notable for its yukitsuri — ropes attached in a conical array to trees to break up snow as it falls, thereby protecting the trees from damage.

Related Topics:
Kenrokuen Garden - Castle - 1875 - Acre - Yukitsuri

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Outside Kenrokuen is Ishakawa-mon, the gate to Ishikawa Castle. The original castle was destroyed by fire but rebuilt in 2001. There are currently plans to re-create the original castle grounds in full, encompassing what is now Chuo Park, as well as adjacent areas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Seisonkaku Villa was built in the last years of the Edo Period by a Maeda lord for his mother. It is one of the most elegant, remaining samurai villas in Japan. The villa stands in a corner of Kenrokuen, but separate admission fees apply. (Source Japan-guide.com)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kanazawa also boasts a 100 year old former geisha house: the Higashi Geisha District, across the Asano river (with its old stone bridge) out from central Kanazawa. Nearby is the Yougetsu Minshuku which sits at one end of one of the most photographed streets in Japan. It retains, almost completely, the look and feel of nineteenth century Japan, its two-story wooden facades plain and austere. The effect is accentuated by the early morning mist. Late at night, the street is lit by the period streetlamps.

Related Topics:
Geisha house - Facade

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The temple Oyama-jinja, which is considered an Important Cultural Asset, is also in Kanazawa.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The city is also renowned as a traditional haunt of ninja. Kanazawa's Myoryuji Temple or ninja dera (ninja temple) is a fascinating amalgamation of traditional Zen architecture, hidden doors, passageways, and hidden escape routes. Although the temple is often referred to as ninja dera, it is an incorrect appellation. The temple, with its hidden doors and passageways, was intended as a secret refuge for the local rulers in the case of an external threat.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~