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77-415: The name "Kanazawa" ( 金沢 , 金澤 ), which literally means "marsh of gold", is said to derive from the legend of the peasant Imohori Togoro (literally "Togoro Potato-digger"), who was digging for potatoes when flakes of gold washed up. The well in the grounds of Kenroku-en is known as 'Kinjo Reitaku' ( 金城麗澤 ) to acknowledge these roots. The area where Kanazawa is was originally known as Ishiura, whose name

154-515: A chōnin by working for Tsutaya Jūzaburō . By the late 17th century the prosperity and growth of Edo had begun to produce unforeseen changes in the Tokugawa social order. The chōnin , who were theoretically at the bottom of the Edo hierarchy ( shinōkōshō , samurai-farmers-craftsmen-merchants, with chōnin encompassing the two latter groups), flourished socially and economically at the expense of

231-494: A National Site of Special Scenic Beauty in 1985. The grounds are open through paid admission year-round during daylight hours. Kenroku-en was developed from the 1620s to the 1840s by the Maeda clan , the daimyōs (feudal lords) who ruled the former Kaga Domain . While the date of initial development of the garden that would become known as Kenrokuen is rather unclear, one version of the garden's origins can perhaps be marked by

308-796: A bit longer, and averages some six to nine feet in width. Though much of the Inner Moat has been filled in, large sections of the Outer Moat remain. The earth removed from the moat was piled into ridges along the inner side, as an added defence measure. Before the Maeda clan arrived in Kanazawa, the town had a population of only 5,000. However, thanks to Maeda efforts, that number rose quickly. By 1700, Kanazawa rivaled Rome, Amsterdam, and Madrid in size with its population of over 100,000. The Maeda summoned samurai retainers to live in Kanazawa and offered

385-572: A corner of Kenrokuen; separate admission fees apply. Notable features are the vividly coloured walls of the upper floor, with purple or red walls and dark-blue ceilings (red walls— benigara —are a Kanazawa tradition), and the custom-made English carpet in the audience chamber. The Oyama-jinja shrine, which is considered an Important Cultural Property , is also in Kanazawa. It is noted for its imposing three-story Shinmon gate influenced by Dutch design, built in 1875, with its brightly coloured stained-glass windows. Kanazawa's Myōryūji Temple also known as

462-465: A garden in this vicinity. This garden was, however, destroyed by the fire in 1759. Not much is known about Renchitei in the years after it was named, principally as about eighty years after its creation, nearly the entire garden was destroyed by a massive fire in 1759. However, it is known from documents of the period that before the fire, the garden was often used and enjoyed by successive lords and retainers for "different banquet occasions such as viewing

539-468: A samurai family and inherit the samurai's position and stipend. The amount of money given to a gokenin varied according to his position: 1,000 ryo for a yoriki and 500 ryo for an kachi ( 徒士 ) . Some of their descendants were promoted to hatamoto ( 旗本 ) and held important positions in the shogunate. Low-ranking samurai ( kachi ) could change jobs and move into the lower classes, such as chōnin . For example, Takizawa Bakin became

616-464: A set of incentives to attract the artisans and merchants needed to support the samurai population. Chartered merchants and artisans received economic, social, and political privileges in exchange for moving to the city: they were guaranteed business, exempt from certain taxes, and given pieces of land for shops and residences. These merchants and artisans were at the top of the chōnin , or townsman, social class. Other merchants and artisans, who made up

693-429: A sign of backwardness or decline. The growth that Japan experienced while operating under sakoku policy was largely possible because of castle towns such as Kanazawa. They facilitated growth in a way that did not require foreign influence, thus contributing to the success and stability of Japan at the time. The vast wealth of the Maeda was channeled into arts and crafts, rather than military pursuits, and Kanazawa became

770-635: A significant effect on garden design. Following the fire, the teahouse continued to be used and was completely restored during the Meiji period . It can still be seen today in the Renchitei section of the garden. Another object that existed in or around the garden before the fire of 1759 was the Kaiseki Pagoda ( 海石塔 , Kaiseki-tō ) , which is currently situated in Kenroku-en on an island near

847-458: A similar basic pattern: a single-floored residence, usually fairly square or rectangular in plan, surrounded by a garden – both the vegetable and the decorative kinds. The roof was gabled and faced the road. The boundary wall was usually made of beaten earth, topped with tiles. There are a number of them around in the city, most notably in the Nagamachi area. The size and height of

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924-803: Is Komatsu Airport in the city of Komatsu . Kanazawa is served by the JR West Hokuriku Main Line and the Hokuriku Railroad . Since 14 March 2015, the city is also served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen , shortening the trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa to around 2 and a half hours. With the opening of the Shinkansen line in March 2015, part of the Hokuriku Main Line which was formerly operated by JR West

1001-454: Is Honda-machi, where the retainers of the rich and powerful Honda family lived, in what was almost a town within a town. In most cases, even with large fiefs like Sendai and Satsuma, samurai tended to live on their own land. But in Kaga all samurai, regardless of income, lived in Kanazawa. When Kanazawa was finished in more or less its final form in the late 17th century, over three-quarters of it

1078-565: Is a market in the middle of the city, originally open-air, and now covered, which dates back to the Edo period. Most of the shops there sell seafood. Popular food and drink in Kanazawa include: Kenroku-en Kenroku-en ( Japanese : 兼六園 , Garden of Six Attributes) , located in Kanazawa , Ishikawa , Japan , is a strolling style garden constructed during the Edo period by the Maeda clan. Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en , Kenroku-en

1155-447: Is commonly called, is superficially similar to the merchant houses (in the same way the samurai houses are superficially similar to farmhouses). However, unlike the merchant houses, where the second floor at the front was for storage, and thus very low, the second story of tea houses are much higher, because the upper floor was used as the main entertaining area. The upper floors are faced with sliding wooden shutters which would be open in

1232-497: Is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is noted for its beauty across all seasons, particularly in winter. Spread over nearly 25 acres, features of the landscape include meandering paths, a large pond, several tea houses, and one of Japan's oldest fountains. First opening to the public in 1871, the garden was later designated a National Site of Scenic Beauty in 1922, and subsequently received status as

1309-504: Is now Kenrokuen by an artesian well. The large lake in Kenrokuen , Kasumi-ga-Ike, acted as an emergency supply. Local legend has it that the lake has a plug, which could be pulled to increase the water in the moats. The series of moats were laid out in the early seventeenth century. Initially they were dry, but later connected to the rivers. The Inner Moat was dug in only 27 days, and averaged about four to five feet wide. The Outer Moat took

1386-529: Is possible that Maeda Toshiie received from Hideyoshi a 13-tiered pagoda, placed it in Gyokusen-in garden in Kanazawa Castle, and a subsequent daimyō placed the pagoda where it stands today in its current form. However, as there isn't any evidence suggesting this third theory, this claim cannot be substantiated. The garden restoration was begun in 1774 by the 11th daimyō Harunaga , who created

1463-685: Is preserved at the Ishiura Shrine near Kenrokuen. The area around Kanazawa was part of ancient Kaga Province . During the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573), as the power of the central shōguns in Kyoto was waning, Kaga Province came under the control of the Ikkō-ikki , followers of the teachings of priest Rennyo , of the Jōdo Shinshū sect, who displaced the official governors of the province,

1540-404: Is strongest, but it is above 125 millimetres (4.9 in) every month of the year. Per Japanese census data, the population of Kanazawa has recently plateaued after a long period of growth. Kanazawa is twinned with the following cities: Kanazawa is a regional commercial centre and transportation hub for Ishikawa Prefecture. It remains noted for its traditional handicrafts industry, including

1617-435: Is that they were wind blockers, which is logical given Kanazawa's weather. Snow was also a significant factor in house design. The roofs sloped into a central garden that was designed to allow snow to collect as much as to provide light to the rear. While the sea of black-glazed tiles sparkling in the sun is a common tourist image of Kanazawa today, the traditional architectural style used wooden boards held down by stones. Due to

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1694-563: Is the Ishikawa-mon, the back gate to Kanazawa Castle. The original castle was largely destroyed by fire in 1888 but has been partially restored. The Seisonkaku Villa was built in 1863 by Maeda Nariyasu (13th daimyō of Kaga Domin) for his mother, Takako. It was originally called Tatsumi Goten (Tatsumi Palace). Much of it has been dismantled, but what remains is one of the most elegant remaining feudal lord villas in Japan. The villa stands in

1771-696: Is the seat of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly, and contributes 16 of the 43 members of that body. In terms of national politics, the city forms the Ishikawa 1st District with one seat in the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Kanazawa is located in north-western Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan and is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and Toyama Prefecture to

1848-517: The Ninja-dera (Ninja Temple) is an amalgamation of traditional temple architecture, hidden doors, passageways, and hidden escape routes. Local legend has it that 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. Mount Utatsu gives a commanding view of the city of Kanazawa. Toyokuni Shrine , Utatsu Shrine (a Tenman-gū ), and Atago Shrine , known together as

1925-512: The Sengoku Period , castle towns were particularly appealing because of their security and defenses. Kanazawa's growth was indicative of a larger trend in Japan from 1580 to 1700: urbanization . In those 120 years, the population of the country nearly doubled, reaching approximately 30,000,000, and the percentage of people living in urban towns of more than 10,000 residents grew more than tenfold. Kanazawa continued to grow until 1710, when

2002-399: The chōnin population reached 64,987, and the city's total reached approximately 120,000. The population then stabilized. Much of the economic and population growth in Kanazawa, as well as in other Japanese castle towns, occurred during Japan's closed country policy ( sakoku ). Beginning in the 1630s, Japan had little or no influence from other countries. However, this phase was clearly not

2079-491: The 14 families with incomes over 3,000 koku and their retainers, not to mention the large number of samurai who arrived from Takaoka (in Toyama Prefecture) with Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord, when he took up his position. The richest families were moved out of the castle and given massive estates throughout the city. Their own retainers were housed in huge complexes nearby. The most notable example in Kanazawa

2156-621: The Emerald Waterfall (Midori-taki) and Yugao-tei ( 夕顔亭 ) , a teahouse. Improvements continued in 1822 when the 12th daimyō Narinaga created the garden's winding streams with water drawn from the Tatsumi Waterway. The 13th daimyō Nariyasu subsequently added more streams and expanded the Kasumi Pond. With this, the garden's current form was complete. The garden was opened to the public on May 7, 1874. The garden

2233-686: The Ikkō sect. After the Ikkō were defeated, other sects moved in: Sōtō , Shingon , Hokke , Ji, etc. They were placed in their present locations by around 1616. In the Teramachi ("temple town" area), they were lined up side by side along a long straight road leading to the foot of Nodayama. Defensive purposes have often been argued for this type of planning, and it is true that the wide spaces, thick walls, and large halls of temples were able to be used as emergency fortifications. However, to what extent this influenced

2310-628: The Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education, one public combined middle/high school operated by the national government (associated with Kanazawa University) and two private combined middle/high schools. Aside from the above combined middle/high schools, Kanazawa has 11 public high schools operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education, one public industrial high school operated by the city government and four private high schools. Ishikawa Prefecture also operates five special education schools in Kanazawa. The nearest airport

2387-520: The Kaga Ikko-ikki . After overthrowing the "Peasant's Kingdom", Morimasa was awarded the province as his fief. However, after the assassination of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, he was displaced by Maeda Toshiie , who founded Kaga Domain . At the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Maeda sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu and thus was able to further enlarge his holdings to a massive 1.2 million koku — by far

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2464-512: The Kaga government, and the geisha districts were abolished a decade later. The districts were made legal again just before the Meiji Restoration, and stayed that way until prostitution was officially outlawed in 1954. The geisha areas were out of bounds to samurai; they were patronised by rich merchants and artisans, who would compete with each other to spend the most money on parties. The geisha house, or "tea house" ( ochaya ) as it

2541-424: The Meiji Restoration the samurai found themselves bereft of their traditional income, and many of them ended up selling off their estates, which were turned into fields before being redeveloped as modern housing before World War II.) One distinctive aspect of Kanazawa, and other castle towns, is the clustering of temples near the entrances. When Kanazawa was ruled by the Ikkō , the temples were all Jōdo Shinshū ,

2618-707: The Mount Utatsu Three Shrines, are found on the mountain. A monument to author Shūsei Tokuda is located near the summit. Kanazawa boasts numerous Edo period (1603–1867) former geisha houses in 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. This area retains

2695-478: The Renchiochin house on the slope facing Kanazawa Castle , and gave its garden the name Renchitei ( 蓮池庭 , lotus pond) , also spelled Renchi-tei. The garden is located outside the gates of Kanazawa Castle where it originally formed the outer garden, and covers 114,436.65 m (over 25 acres). It began in 1676 when the 5th daimyō Maeda Tsunanori moved his administration to the castle and began to landscape

2772-705: The Sai River Project. Because the Sai River split in two and the castle was located in the center, a part of the riverbed was unusable. In the 1610s, the construction project diverted the secondary stream into the main river, thus creating usable land, where four new wards opened for chōnin settlement. Some of these poorer merchants became successful enough to compete with chartered merchants for city administration positions, but many supported themselves by making and selling low cost goods, such as umbrellas and straw sandals, for mass consumption. This signifies that

2849-732: The Seisonkaku Villa in Kenrokuen is particularly boldly decorated, with purple and black walls as well. Hyakumangoku Matsuri and Asano-gawa Enyukai are the major festivals held in Kanazawa. Kanazawa-haku is gold that is beaten into a paper-like sheet. Gold leaf plays a prominent part in the city's cultural crafts, to the extent that there is the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum . It is found throughout Kanazawa and Ishikawa; Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's high-quality gold leaf. The gold leaf that covers

2926-754: The Togashi clan, and established a kind of theocratic republic later known as " The Peasants' Kingdom ." Their principal stronghold was the Kanazawa Gobo, on the tip of the Kodatsuno Ridge. Backed by high hills and flanked on two sides by rivers, it was a natural fortress, around which a castle town developed. This was the start of what would become the city of Kanazawa. In 1580, during the Sengoku period (1467 to 1615), Oda Nobunaga sent Shibata Katsuie , and his general Sakuma Morimasa , to conquer

3003-472: The back, facing the inner garden. Beyond that was the kitchen area, and at the rear of the house would be a thick-walled fireproof storehouse. Though very few from the Edo period remain, the basic style remained unchanged until the World War II. One notable feature of the design is the 'sode-utatsu' wings extending forward on the sides of the upper floor. Their exact purpose is not certain, but one theory

3080-476: The castle town' has been designated an Important Cultural Landscape . Kanazawa is known for its traditional Kaga Cuisine, with seafood a specialty. The sake produced in this region, derived from the rice grown in Ishikawa Prefecture with the considerable precipitation of the Hokuriku region , allowing for an ample supply of clean, fresh water is considered to be of high quality. Omicho market

3157-417: The castle. In 1632 Maeda Toshitsune ordered the construction of a canal to bring water from the upper Sai River to the castle to alleviate a water shortage problem. Water was drawn from far upstream, and channeled through kilometres of canals and pipes carefully laid at a 750:1 slope for about 3.3 kilometres (2.1 miles) to the castle. The water was fed to the castle under the moat that lay between it and what

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3234-434: The center of Hisago Pond ( 瓢池 , Hisago-ike ) . Not only is this object of considerable interest due to the theories which suggest its origin, but it also requires extra consideration due to the fact it "was erected by the third lord Toshitsune" who lived from 1594 to 1658, as it provides evidence that perhaps it predates the initial creation of Renchitei. Of course, this depends upon one's interpretation regarding both when

3311-407: The centre of the "Million-koku Culture", which helped ease suspicions held by the shogunate over the domain's wealth and the status of its daimyō as an "Outer Lord" or Tozama daimyō . The third daimyō Maeda Toshitsune , formed the "Kaga Workmanship Office" and promoted lacquer and gold-and-lacquer-work; and the fifth daimyō , Maeda Tsunanori , collected works of art and artisans from all over

3388-484: The challenge of these contrasting attributes, and achieves balance of all six to represent an ideal landscape. Certain areas of the garden, like those around Kasumige-ike Pond, lend themselves to a sense of openness, while other areas, such as those around Tokiwaoka Hill, create a sense of seclusion. Artificial elements of bridges, lanterns, and pagodas were designed to fit seamlessly into the surrounding natural elements of rock, plants, and water. Panoramic viewpoints within

3465-427: The class to break the strict social barriers that prevented individuals from ascending in the social hierarchy. Members of the chōnin opted to develop culture within their communities, allowing members of such community to rise as "cultured individuals". This phenomenon is said to be behind the popularity of the iemoto system in the Edo period. The socioeconomic ascendance of chōnin has certain similarities to

3542-408: The commoner population of Kanazawa began to generate its own consumption demands, thus stimulating even more growth. Kanazawa flourished largely because of a mutually beneficial relationship between the daimyō and the chōnin . The samurai relied on merchants and artisans for goods and services, while the chōnin were able to thrive because of the protection that the daimyō provided. Coming out of

3619-534: The completion of the Tatsumi water channel in 1632 by Maeda Toshitsune , the third daimyō of the powerful Maeda clan and ruler of the Kaga Domain from 1605 to 1639, as this feature would be later incorporated into creating the garden's twisting waterways in 1822. Conversely, in other versions of the garden's inception, it is said to have originated when the 5th daimyō Tsunanori [r. 1645–1723] built in 1676

3696-470: The country. Kanazawa was one of the largest cities in Japan throughout the Edo period. Following the Meiji restoration , the modern city of Kanazawa was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The borders of the city gradually expanded by annexing neighbouring towns and villages bringing the area of the city from its initial 10.40 square kilometers to its present 468.64 square kilometers. On April 1, 1996, Kanazawa

3773-632: The day or when there was a party going on. The bottom floor is faced with the unique, extremely fine latticework that is known as Kaga lattice. The standard of décor was far higher than most merchant houses, at least to the extent allowed by the Sumptuary Laws that the Shogunate passed. Due in part to the long gloomy winters, Kaga décor is far brighter than the drab earth browns and greens and ochres of Kyoto style: bold bright scarlets ( benigara ; 紅柄 ) and ultramarines were popular. The upper floor of

3850-1091: The east. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. The eastern portion of the city is dominated by the Japanese Alps . Parts of the city are within the borders of the Hakusan National Park . Kanazawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa ) characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. Average temperatures are slightly cooler than those of Tokyo, with means approximately 4 °C (39 °F) in January, 12 °C (54 °F) in April, 27 °C (81 °F) in August, 17 °C (63 °F) in October, and 7 °C (45 °F) in December. The lowest temperature on record

3927-517: The famous Golden Pavilion in Kyoto was produced in Kanazawa. Gold leaf is even put into food. The city is famous for tea with gold flakes, which is considered by the Japanese people to be good for health and vitality. Kanazawa lacquerware ( Kanazawa shikki ), a high-quality lacquerware traditionally decorated with gold dust, is also well known. 'Cultural landscape in Kanazawa. Tradition and culture in

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4004-409: The first lord Maeda Toshiie". Since these military incursions by Kato Kiyomasa probably took place between 1592 and 1598, and as Hideyoshi died in 1598, if the second theory is true, then the pagoda probably entered Japan and into the hands of Maeda Toshiie between 1592 and 1598. Moreover, both theories regarding its origin could be true, which could propose a third theory behind the pagoda's origin. It

4081-406: The fringes of the city, with street layouts almost totally unplanned. These areas are some of the most labyrinthine parts of the city, but this was not done for defensive purposes. By this time, peace was quite firmly secured. To alleviate crowding from the continual (illegal) inflow of peasants and other migrants, residents were permitted to rent land from neighbouring farmers. These areas are some of

4158-491: The garden overlook the Japan Sea and Iozan mountains, while simultaneously allowing views of many of the garden's water features. Kenroku-en contains roughly 8,750 trees, and 183 species of plants in total. Among the garden's points of special interest are In winter, the park is notable for its yukitsuri — ropes attached in a conical array to carefully support tree branches in the desired arrangements, thereby protecting

4235-428: The garden was initially created, along with the two theories regarding its origin. The first theory suggests it was formerly part of a "13-tiered pagoda that was once in the Gyokusen-in garden in Kanazawa Castle". The second theory suggests the pagoda was "brought back from Korea by Kato Kiyomasa when he came back from a military incursion there, and that it was presented to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and then passed on by him to

4312-445: The heavy snowfalls of the Japan Sea coast, traditional tiles were considered to be too heavy. The use of tiles on the frontage and boards under the eaves is to prevent snow damage. Large-scale reorganization of the samurai areas took place in 1611. Areas had been ordained by income. As the total income of the domain had increased fourfold in the past couple of decades, there was some reorganization to be done. And room had to be found for

4389-463: The largest feudal domain within the Tokugawa shogunate . The Maeda clan continued to rule Kaga Domain from Kanazawa Castle through the end of the Edo period . Maeda Toshiie and his successors greatly enlarged Kanazawa Castle and carefully planned the layout of the surrounding jōkamachi to meet strategic and defensive concerns. On April 14, 1631, a fire consumed much of the city, including

4466-468: The layout is not certain. It was, in Kanazawa's case at least, never put to the test. On the other side of town, the Utatsuyama temple district, at the foot of the hill of the same name, has smaller temples and twisty roads. Kanazawa had a further expansion in 1661, when many samurai who had followed their retired Lord Toshitsune to his villa at Komatsu returned after his death. They built houses on

4543-441: The look and feel of pre-modern Japan, its two-story wooden façades plain and austere. The effect is accentuated by the early morning mist. At night, the street is lit by recreated Taishō -period streetlamp. Houses were taxed on the width of the frontage, leading to the development of many long, thin houses. Unlike samurai houses, they were built right up to the road and directly abutted their neighbours. They were two-storied, though

4620-512: The moon ... enjoying colorful maples", and for admiring horses. Furthermore, local legend suggests that the Sacred Well of Kenroku-en – arguably the oldest object in the garden if the legend is true – suggests that: 1,200 years ago a peasant named Togoro stopped to wash his potatoes at the well. Suddenly, flakes of gold began to bubble up from the well, giving Kanazawa – meaning 'Marsh of Gold' – its name. Water from

4697-531: The most convoluted, as the roads were laid out on the old winding paths through the fields. Thus Kanazawa attained the form that it kept for the rest of the Edo period — even now the majority of roads in the old city are little changed in form from two centuries ago. The only major change was the creation of geisha districts ( hanamachi ) at the foot of Utatsuyama and over the Sai River in 1820, to control and regulate pleasure houses and prostitutes (bath girls; 湯女 ). However, conservative factions regained control of

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4774-419: The production of Kutani ware ceramics, and is a major tourist destination. Kanazawa has 58 public elementary schools operated by the city government and one public elementary school operated by the national government (associated with Kanazawa University) and one private elementary school. The city has 25 public middle schools operated by the city government, one public combined middle/high school operated by

4851-407: The rest of the chōnin , came without such promises. Some were first hired as servants for samurai or wealthy merchant families and decided to stay in the city even after their contracts expired, though most moved to Kanazawa for no reason other than the commercial opportunities the city presented. The government further facilitated growth by responding to the needs of these newcomers with projects like

4928-460: The roughly contemporary rise of the " bourgeoisie " in the West. In the latter part of the Tokugawa period, this social class wielded the real power in the society although the warrior class still dominated the political sphere. From the mid-Edo period, wealthy chōnin and farmers could join the samurai class by giving a large sum of money to an impoverished gokenin ( 御家人 ) to be adopted into

5005-405: The social class. While chōnin are not as well known to non-Japanese as other social classes in Japan, they played a key role in the development of Japanese cultural products such as ukiyo-e , rakugo , and handicrafts. Aesthetic ideals such as iki , tsū , and wabi-sabi were also developed among the chōnin . This association with cultural development emerged as a way for members of

5082-610: The trees from damage caused by heavy snows. Ch%C5%8Dnin Chōnin ( 町人 , "townsman") was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. The chōnin emerged in joka-machi or castle towns during the sixteenth century. The majority of chōnin were merchants, but some were craftsmen. Nōmin ( 農民 , " farmers ") were not considered chōnin . Later, peasants, servants, and workers were also considered members of

5159-405: The upper floor was used mainly for storage, particularly at the front of the house, above the shop area. One feature of Kanazawa merchant houses is the long earth corridor that runs from the front door to the rear of the house. This was usually on one side, and the rooms opened off it. The typical merchant's house, would have the shop area, then a couple of inner rooms, with the most important room at

5236-400: The wall and the entry gate were also dictated by rank. Samurai over 400 koku in income had a stable gate, used to house guards and horses. Though the Nagamachi area is promoted in the tourist brochures as the 'samurai area', the overwhelming majority of the houses are not samurai houses, but modern post-war housing. There are very few genuine samurai houses in Kanazawa. (This is because after

5313-413: The well runs to the purification basin at the nearby Shinto shrine, and many people come to the Sacred Well for water for the tea ceremony. The Shigure-tei teahouse – constructed in 1725 – miraculously survived the fire of 1759, and it offers evidence that not only was the tea ceremony present before the fire, but more importantly so was the culture associated with this elaborate ritual as it had

5390-466: Was 10,000 koku , and apart from the Eight Houses, some twelve families had incomes in excess of this. Kanazawa was filled with huge mansions. Size and location of samurai housing was determined by income and standing. The richest and most powerful samurai in Kanazawa had their own men, often hundreds of them, who were housed in large areas that usually adjoined the main house. Samurai houses shared

5467-513: Was named by Matsudaira Sadanobu in 1822 and literally translates as "Combined" (Ken) "Six" (roku) "Garden" (en) to mean the "Garden of Six Attributes." Sadanobu drew inspiration from the classical Chinese text "Chronicles of the Famous Luoyang Gardens" ( 洛陽名園記 ), which outlined the six attributes of a perfect landscape: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and panoramas. Attaining all six within one landscape

5544-439: Was opened to the public in 1875. It is considered one of the " three great gardens of Japan " and is filled with a variety of trees, ponds, waterfalls and flowers stretching over 25 acres (10 ha). In winter, the park is notable for its yukitsuri  – ropes attached in a conical array to trees to support the branches under the weight of the heavy wet snow, thereby protecting the trees from damage. Outside Kenrokuen

5621-401: Was proclaimed a core city with increased local autonomy. Kanazawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 38 members. Since March 2022 the mayor is Takahasi Murayama. His predecessor was Yukiyoshi Yamano who had been mayor since December 2010. Yamano resigned to run for the seat of governor of Ishikawa prefecture. The city

5698-483: Was said to be difficult because they form contrasting pairs: There are six features that make a garden outstanding. If one tries to introduce an impression of vastness, any atmosphere of quietude and intimacy will be lost; if artificial elements are introduced, any impression of antiquity will be weakened; if a lot of flowing water is introduced, distant views are not possible. The landscape design and layout of Kenroku-en can be interpreted to demonstrate how it overcomes

5775-458: Was samurai housing. Nearest the castle were the huge estates of the Eight Houses (chief vassals) and their own retainers. For every 100 koku of income, a samurai was given about 550 square metres of land, and average of the "middle-class" samurai was 800, which is huge compared to modern Japanese housing. The richest vassal family, the Hondas, had a 50,000 koku income. The minimum for daimyo level

5852-413: Was separated and operated by the third-sector company IR Ishikawa Railway . Kanazawa was one of the few major Japanese cities to be spared destruction by air raids during World War II , and as a result, much of Kanazawa's considerable architectural heritage has been preserved. Kenrokuen Garden is by far the most famous part of Kanazawa. Originally built as the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle , it

5929-461: Was −9.4 °C (15.1 °F) on January 27, 1904, with a maximum of 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) standing as a record since September 8, 1902. The city is distinctly wet, with an average humidity of 73% and 193 rainy days in an average year. Precipitation is highest in the autumn and winter; it averages more than 250 millimetres (10 in)/ month November through January when the Aleutian Low

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