A City of Art and Elegance

The temples, shrines and neighborhoods in this seaside town of half a million re ect Japan’s colorful past better than most Japanese cities, because Kanazawa, much like Kyoto, escaped destruction during WWII. e in uence of the feudal lords and emperors who reigned for centuries is evident in the city’s culture, architecture and food.

Kanazawa is on the Sea of Japan, on the opposite side of the central island from Tokyo. In Japanese, the name means “marsh of gold,” thanks to an old peasant farmer who one day discovered gold leaf on the potatoes he was washing. Today, 99% of the nation’s gold leaf comes from the area. Some of it is even edible.

Bullet trains shorten the trip from Tokyo to just a little more than two hours. Pulling into Kanazawa’s station, visitors are greeted by the towering glass and steel Motenashi Dome and the equally massive, allwood Tsuzumi-mon Gate, built to resemble traditional tsuzumi drums.

The Maeda clan ruled Kanazawa and surrounding lands for nearly three centuries until the Meiji Res- toration restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868. At one point, the Maeda family controlled the largest feudal domain in the shogunate. The family’s low white castle, the moat, the large stone walls, the ponds and the gardens have been partially restored to look as they did in 1850. Striking horizontal roof gables protect the castle’s intricate wood carvings.

Directly across from the castle, on what had been Maeda family grounds, is the meticulously-manicured Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s top three. It comes complete with cherry blossoms in the spring and spectacular foliage in the fall.

The Maeda clan was quite keen in their support of the arts. The peaceful D.T. Suzuki Museum with its simple, minimalist Water Mirror Garden reflects the philosopher’s theories of Zen Buddhism as a physical space.

The nearby 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art uses circular architecture dotted with numerous doors and entrances to symbolize the many ways art can be viewed. The permanent collection includes