Edo garden

Kenrokuen has the characteristics of a typical Edo period landscape garden. The original house and garden burned down in 1759. The restored garden was ordered by the 11th lord Harunaga in the 1770s, and his successor, the 12th lord constructed another villa, and asked that the garden be named. The name derives from the six attributes of a perfect landscape: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, watercourses and panoramas. I think the garden incorporates all of these charmingly, and strolling through them was certainly a highlight of our visit to Kanazawa.

After the abolition of the feudal system in 1874, the garden was opened to the public. It had formerly been the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle, (second last picture), which can be viewed from the last picture, where a short row of pretty architecturally-pleasing shops hides their usual tourist tat.

The embers of autumnal colours on the maple trees gave a welcome fillip to the threatening grey skies, which produced their worst the following day.