Kenrokuen Garden | Guide to Japan's Most Beautiful Garden

When in Japan, strolling through a traditional Japanese garden is nothing but an absolute must. But if you are a fan of Japanese Gardens, you should take things to the next level and visit one of the most beautiful in the country.

In this guide, I share everything you need to know before visiting the Kenrokuen Garden and answer the most frequently asked questions. My aim is to help you make the most of your visit, and appreciate the Kenrokuen Gardens to the fullest.

Whether you are taking a day trip, or visiting Kanazawa for 2 days or more, this garden is a must visit during any season.

Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about the Kenrokuen Gardens!👇

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Table of Contents

Everything to Know before Visiting the Kenrokuen Garden

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The History of the Kenrokuen Garden

The Kenrokuen Garden dates back to the Edo Period, when the Maeda Clan ruled the Kaga Domain. The Maeda Clan was a wealthy Samurai family of high ranking officials who ruled Japan’s wealthiest domain for three centuries.

The Maeda family resided within the Kanazawa Castle, and built the Kenrokuen Garden as an outer garden. This family is responsible for the many wonders of Kanazawa, and the spectacular flourishing of Kanazawa’s art, culture, and cuisine.

The Kenrokuen Garden continued to expand and grow throughout the centuries that the Maeda family ruled.

Kenrokuen’s Six Sublimities

When translated, Kenrokuen means “the garden of the six sublimities”. For a garden to be considered perfect in Japan, it must have each of these 6 features.

A perfect Japanese garden offers beautiful views, is home to water works and artistry, and is spacious. Furthermore, it is fairly secluded and has an element of antiquity.

These six features can be easily spotted when walking through the Kenrokuen and it’s many highlights.

The Kenrokuen Highlights

Kasumiga-ike Pond

A serene lakeside scene reminiscent of Kenrokuen Garden features a traditional wooden building on stilts partially overhanging the water, surrounded by lush green trees and some blooming cherry blossoms. A group of people can be seen in the distance near the edge of the pond.

The Kasumiga-ike Pond is one of the two main ponds in the Kenroku-en Garden, along with Hisago-ike. The pond’s water apparently comes from a distant river thanks to a water system constructed in the mid-17th-century. The water from this river also feeds the Hisagoike pond and the garden’s streams.

Near the Kasumigaike Pond you will find Japan’s oldest fountain, which is powered by the pond’s drop in elevation. The fountain’s water shoots as high 3.5 meters, or 11.5 feet. (Kanazawa Station)

Karasaki Pine

A serene garden scene reminiscent of the Kenrokuen Garden, featuring large, sprawling pine trees with thick branches and lush green foliage. The garden is dotted with small shrubs and neatly arranged rocks, all under a clear blue sky. A simple wooden fence borders the gravel path in the foreground. — Photo Credit: © Leung Cho Pan on Canva.com

The Karasaki Pine is an icon of the Kenrokuen Garden, and more than just a pine tree.

This beautiful black pine tree is one that receives a lot of care and maintenance. When you walk around the Kenrokuen, you will notice that this tree has lots of wooden structures that support it’s branches. These wooden structures don’t only support the branches, but also guide them into creating a wide canopy.

During the winter time, the Karasaki Pine is further supported by the Yukitsuri. Yukitsuri is a traditional Japanese technique in which ropes are attached to branches. These ropes help protect the pine tree branches from the winter’s heavy snowfall.

The Yukitsuri is a protective technique, but also adds an element of beauty to the garden in the winter time.

Kotoji stone lantern

A traditional Japanese stone lantern, the Kotojitoro Lantern, with two legs stands beside a serene pond in a lush garden reminiscent of Kenrokuen Garden. The water is calm, reflecting the surrounding greenery and trees. The garden is tranquil, with moss-covered rocks and carefully pruned plants adding to the peaceful scenery.

The Kotojitoro Lantern is a beautiful, over 2-meter tall stone lantern that sits in the Kasumigaike Pond. This is one of the main icons of the Kenrokuen Garden.

Teahouses – Yugao-tei, Uchihashi-tei, and Shigure-tei

A traditional Japanese teahouse with sliding doors is partially obscured by trees. The foreground features a tranquil pond with lily pads, surrounded by lush greenery and moss-covered rocks, reminiscent of the serene Kenrokuen Garden scene.

Can a garden be considered a Japanese Garden if it doesn’t have a tea house? I can’t answer this, but it does seem like tea houses play an important role.

In the Kenrokuen you will find six Chayas, “teahouses”, three of which are the Yugao-tei, Uchihashi-tei, and Shigure-tei. The Yugao-tei can be admired from the outside and is the oldest teahouse in the garden.

The Uchihashi-tei, on the other hand, is a teahouse that you can visit and enjoy Japanese delicacies in. This beautiful teahouse sits over the Kasumiga-ike Pond.

The Shigure-tei is the largest teahouse in the Kenrokuen Garden and can also be visited!

Kenrokuen kikuzakura

In the Kenrokuen, you will find over 180 different plant species and almost 9,000 trees. Amongst all of these beautiful plants and trees, you will find the Kikuzakura.

The Kikuzakura is a rare species of cherry blossom that has more than the traditional 5 petals. A Kikuzakura cherry blossom could have as many as 300 petals!😍

Seisonkaku Villa

Located right by the Kenrokuen Garden, the Seisonkaku Villa is a 19th century villa built by the 13th lord of the Kaga Domain. Maeda Nari Yasu built this beautiful samurai villa for his retired mother, so that she may always see the beautiful Kenrokuen Garden.

Within this villa you will see everything from tearooms, gardens, dolls and their furniture, traditional architecture, and more. To enter this villa, you need an entry ticket which costs 700 yen, roughly $4.70.

Activities

If you want to dive deeper into Japanese culture and are a tea lover, this highly-rated experience is perfect for you!

During this Tea Ceremony within the Kenrokuen Garden, you will learn the secrets of tea-brewing, how to use traditional utensils for matcha, and enjoy some Japanese delicacies.

If this experience sounds like your cup of tea (fully pun-intended), book your spot before it sells out!😍👇

Seasonality

One of the spectacular aspects of the Kenrokuen Garden is its seasonality, and how it looks perfect year round. Out of the four seasons, Fall, Winter, and Spring are the best seasons to visit.

Here is what Kenrokuen Garden looks like in the Fall, and Spring.

Kenrokuen Garden in the Fall

A serene view of a traditional Japanese garden with the Kotojitoro stone lantern by the Kasumiga-ike Pond. The landscape, reminiscent of Kenrokuen Garden, features trees with green and autumnal leaves reflecting in the calm water. A wooden pavilion is visible in the background across the pond.

One of the best times of the year to visit Kenrokuen Garden is during the Fall, thanks to the many deciduous trees deliberately planted to create colourful displays. In particular, the colours are at their peak during November. When I visited Kenrokuen Garden in mid-October, the trees were just starting to change colour, with hints of gold and orange.

Due to a typhoon affecting the bullet trains, I had to cut short my overnight stay in Kenrokuen and nearly missed visiting the gardens altogether. However, I luckily discovered that the gardens are open early in the morning, before regular visiting hours, with free entry.

The gardens officially open at 7am or 8am depending on the month, but early admission occurs from 5am up until the end of October, then from 6am during the rest of Fall. Visiting the garden shortly after sunrise was a magical experience, with hardly anyone else to disturb the serenity of the gardens (or appear in my photos).

Another experience to consider during Fall is the late night illumination. The gardens re-open to the public after dark on selected Saturdays and holidays during Fall, with the trees beautifully illuminated. Entry is free to the lighting events.

Contributed by Shandos Cleaver of Travelnuity

Kenrokuen in the Spring

A serene Japanese garden reminiscent of Kenrokuen Garden features a large pond surrounded by lush greenery and trees. A traditional stone lantern stands near the edge of the pond, where pink cherry blossom petals float on the water's surface near the rocks. Visitors can be seen in the background, enjoying the tranquility.

If you want to experience a magical cherry blossom scene, you must visit during the spring!

To experience the peak bloom, it’s best to visit late March and early-mid April. I visited in mid-April and the cherry blossom scene was still spectacular, just not at its peak.

Starting in March, the entry hour of the Kenrokuen is at 7 AM. If you want the garden to yourself, you can enter at 5 AM (March), or even 4 AM starting in April!

During the year there are select weeks or weekends where the garden opens at night for an illumination “show”. At this time you would walk around the Kenrokuen Garden and see it beautifully lit up at night.

Renting a Kimono

If you’ve been wanting to rent a Kimono and walk around a beautiful Japanese town or garden, Kanazawa and the Kenrokuen Garden are the perfect place!

There are many places around Kanazawa to rent Kimonos. One of the most popular ones, which is nearby the garden, is Vasara Kimono Rental.

When in Kanazawa, you will usually see people dressed in Kimono in the Kenrokuen Garden or in the famous Higashi Chaya District.

Important Visit Tip

The Kenrokuen Garden area with the Kasumiga-ike, Pond Kotojitoro Lantern, and so forth, is the area you essentially paid to enter. If you walk around the entire garden (which I recommend), you will unknowingly exit the Kenrokuen and will need to show your ticket again.

In shorter terms, keep your Kenrokuen Garden entry tickets for the entire visit. Bonus, they make a beautiful souvenir!😍

Best Time to Visit the Kenrokuen Garden

Being a garden for all seasons, the Kenrokuen Garden is great to visit year round during any season. With that said, the best time to visit the Kenrokuen Gardens depends on what you want to see.

For a bright foliage, it’s best to visit in the fall – starting in late October. For the cherry blossoms and endless pink, you need to visit in the spring – starting early-mid April.🌸

If you want to see the Yukitsuri, you’ll need to visit any time between November 1st to mid-March. For a winter wonderland, visit between late December and February.🌨️

In terms of hours, if you want to have the Kenrokuen Garden to yourself, it’s best to visit during the early hours. The early hour admission varies per season, and can start as early as 4 AM!🤯

How to Reach the Kenrokuen Garden from Kanazawa Station

By Foot | 36 Minutes BUT…

A scenic view of a Japanese castle, Kanazawa Castle, on a hilltop during early spring. This garden, near the Kenrokuen Garden, is lined with cherry blossom trees in full bloom and fresh green grass. The foreground features a wooden fence and an open grassy area. The sky is clear and light blue.

When you are walking to the Kenrokuen Garden from Kanazawa Station, you will first pass through the beautiful Kanazawa Castle Park. This is a very simple and straightforward walk full of beautiful things to see and admire.

If you’re not a time crunch and are able, I strongly recommend walking from the station to the Kenrokuen Garden!

By Bus | 18 Minutes

There are several buses always running from the Kanazawa Station, so this is a very convenient way to reach the garden. A bus ticket should cost around 210 yen, roughly $1.5. Simply tap your Pasmo Passport or Suica Card, and you’re set!

By Car | 13 Minutes

Are you driving around Japan? Or maybe you prefer taking a taxi? Then this will be the shortest commute from Kanazawa Station to the Kenrokuen Gardens.

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Kenrokuen Gardens FAQ

How much does it cost to go to Kenrokuen Garden?

The general adult entry fee for the Kenrokuen Garden is 320 yen, roughly $2. For kids from the ages of 6 to 17 it is 100 yen, around $0.68, and free for adults 65 and over with ID.

The only other time that the Kenroku-en Garden is free is during the Early Admission Hours. These hours vary depending on the time of the year, they could start either at 4 AM, 5 AM, or 6 AM.

With that said, the Kenroku-en Garden can be free, but usually is not.

Why is Kenrokuen Garden famous?

The Kenrokuen Garden is the garden of the six sublimities that make a garden perfect. The six sublimities are water bodies, spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, and views.

How long to spend in Kenrokuen Garden?

The Kenroku-en Garden is a great place to slow down in and really let yourself be entranced by the Japanese garden beauties. An average visit lasts between one to 2 hours, but one can easily spend more time.

The Kenrokuen has several attractions and some activities for people to partake in.

Can you eat in Kenrokuen Garden?

Yes! The Kenrokuen, along its several teahouses, and some spots in which you can grab food and eat.

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The Ultimate Guide to the Kenrokuen Garden