Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [227]
In a nonhistoric building just outside Nagamachi (about 250m from the Nomura Samurai House), Nagamachi Yūzen-kan (264-2811; admission ¥350; 9am-noon & 1-4.30pm Fri-Wed) displays some splendid examples of Kaga yūzen kimono-dyeing (see the boxed text) and demonstrates the process. Enquire ahead about trying the silk-dyeing process yourself (¥4000).
21ST CENTURY MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Designed by the acclaimed Tokyo architecture firm SANAA, this ultramodern museum (220-2800; www.kanazawa21.jp; 1-2-1 Hirosaka; permanent collection adult/high-school student & child/university student & senior ¥350/free/280; 10am-6pm Tue-Thu & Sun, to 8pm Fri & Sat) opened in late 2004 and instantly became an ‘it’ building. A low-slung glass cylinder, 113m in diameter, forms the perimeter, and inside galleries and auditoria are arranged like boxes on a tray. Nongallery portions of the building are open daily from 9am to 10pm.
Oh yes, there’s art too: temporary exhibits by leading contemporary artists from Japan and abroad, plus occasional music and dance performances. Check the website for events; admission charges may increase up to ¥1000 during special exhibitions.
KANAZAWA NOH MUSEUM
This modern museum (220-2790; 1-2-25 Hirosaka; adult/child/senior ¥300/free/200; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun) gives a basic introduction to the mysterious art form of nō, the world’s oldest continually performed art, with special emphasis on Kaga-style performance. Changing exhibits (costumes, masks etc) complement the ground floor, which is marked with an outline of a nō stage. Enthusiasts should also visit the Ishikawa Prefectural Nō Theatre.
KANAZAWA CASTLE PARK
Originally built in 1580, Kanazawa-jō (Kanazawa Castle; 234-3800; 1-1 Marunouchi; grounds/building admission free/¥300; grounds 5am-6pm Mar-15 Oct, 6am-4.30pm 16 Oct-Feb, castle 9am-4.30pm) housed the Maeda clan for 14 generations; this massive structure was called the castle of 1000 tatami. That castle was destroyed by fire, but some reconstruction has taken place inside its moated walls, now rechristened Kanazawa Castle Park (Kanazawa-jō Kōen). The elegant gate Ishikawa-mon, rebuilt in 1788, provides a dramatic entry from Kenroku-en; holes in its turret were designed for ishi-otoshi (hurling rocks at invaders). Two additional buildings, the Hishi-yagura (diamond-shaped turret) and Gojikken-Nagaya (armoury), were reconstructed in 2001, offering a glimpse of the castle’s unique wood-frame construction.
KENROKU-EN
Kanazawa’s star attraction, Kenroku-en (234-3800; 1-1 Marunouchi; adult/senior/child ¥300/free/100; 7am-6pm Mar-15 Oct, 8am-4.30pm 16 Oct-Feb) is ranked as one of the great gardens of the Edo period and one of the top three gardens in Japan (the other two are Kairaku-en in Mito, Click here, and Kōraku-en in Okayama, Click here).
The name (kenroku means ‘combined six’) refers to a renowned garden from Sung-dynasty China that required six attributes for perfection: seclusion, spaciousness, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views (on clear days you can see to the Sea of Japan). In 1676 Kenroku-en started as the garden of an outer villa of Kanazawa-jō, but later it was enlarged to serve the castle itself, reaching completion in the early 19th century; the garden opened to the public in 1871. In winter the branches of Kenroku-en’s trees are famously suspended with ropes via a post at each tree’s centre, forming elegant conical shapes that protect the trees from breaking under Kanazawa’s heavy snows. In spring, irises turn Kenroku-en’s waterways into rivers of purple.
Inside the park, Seison-kaku (221-0580; 2-1 Dewa-machi; adult/elementary-school student/student