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You and thousands of others will be heading straight to Kanazawa's star attraction, Kenroku-en (daily: March-Oct 15 7am-6pm; Oct 16-Feb 28 8am-4.30pm; Y300, free third Sun of month), and it is best to bear this in mind before setting off for the gardens, five minutes' walk north of Korinbo. Early morning or late afternoon are the best times for catching the garden at its most tranquil, although you're bound to have your thoughts interrupted at least once by a megaphone-toting guide and party of tourists. The current governor apparently is fond of an early-morning stroll so he has decreed that the garden be open for free from 5.30am until fifteen minutes before the regular opening time, but there is some opposition so this may change. Of the official top three gardens in Japan (Kairaku-en in Mito and Koraku-en in Okayama are the other two), Kenroku-en - developed over two centuries from the 1670s - is generally regarded as the best. Originally the outer grounds of Kanazawa castle, thus the private garden of the ruling Maeda clan, Kenroku-en was opened to the public in 1871. Its name, which means "combined six garden", refers to the six horticultural graces that the garden embraces: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, water and panoramic views. Crowds notwithstanding, it's a lovely place to stroll around, all the more remarkable because an ingenious pumping system keeps the hillside pools full of water and the fountains working. The main gate to Kenroku-en is on the slope leading up to its western edge and there's another a little further north beside the Renchimon, the original gate to the garden, next to the row of giftshops. From either entrance you'll first see the 300-year-old Hisago-ike (Gourd Pond), so called because it's supposed to have the shape of the vegetable. Into the pond drops the Midori-taki (Green Waterfall), an unusual feature for a Japanese garden and built in 1774, at the same time as the nearby Yugaotei, a teahouse where you can still take tea for Y500. Walking in a clockwise direction up the hill you'll pass Japan's first fountain, constructed in 1861, and operated by the natural pressure of water flowing down from the mountains outside Kanazawa. At the top of the hill is the Kasumi-ga-ike (Misty Lake), the largest of Kenroku-en's four ponds and the heart of the garden. The pedestrian jam here is in front of the two-legged Kotoji Toro, the most famous stone lantern among Kenroku-en's eighteen, and an obligatory photo opportunity for all the tourist groups. Looking in the opposite direction from the pond, take in the sweeping prospect across towards Kanazawa's old geisha district Higashiyama and, weather permitting, the Japan Sea coast. Throughout the park are many marvellous pine trees, pruned carefully throughout the centuries to achieve a certain shape; look out for the "married pines" at the southern end of the Kasumi-ga-ike, whose trunks are lovingly entwined. One minute's walk east of the pond is the entrance to the delightful Seison-kaku (daily except Wed 8.30am-4.30pm; Y500), an elegant two-storey shingle-roofed mansion built in 1863 by the daimyo Maeda Nariyasu as a retirement home for his mother. A good English leaflet lists the main architectural and decorative features to look out for, including paintings of fish, shellfish and turtles on the wainscots of the shoji sliding screens in the formal guest rooms downstairs. The view from the Tsukushi-no-roka (Horsetail Corridor) across the mansion's own raked-gravel garden is particularly enchanting, while upstairs the decorative style is more adventurous, using a range of striking colours and materials including, unusually for a Japanese house, glass windows, imported from the Netherlands. These were installed so that the occupants could look out in winter at the falling snow. If you return to the northernmost exit to the gardens you'll be immediately opposite the footbridge leading to the Ishikawa-mon , an impressive eighteenth-century gate and turret, about all that remains of Kanazawa castle. Walk across the now empty castle grounds and you'll emerge on the western side beside the back of the intriguing Oyama-jinja , a large shrine dedicated to the first Maeda lord, Toshiie. It's fronted by the Shinmon, a square-arched gate with multi coloured stained glass in its upper tower, designed in 1875 with the help of Dutch engineers and once used as a lighthouse to guide ships towards the coast. Heading in the opposite direction from Kenroku-en's north exit, along its eastern flank, will bring you to the small traditional garden, Gyokusen-en (daily April-Nov 9am-4pm; Y500), an ideal escape from the crowds. Built on two levels of a steep slope, the garden has many lovely features, including mossy stone paths leading past two ponds and a mini waterfall. For Y500 extra you can enjoy green tea and a sweet in the main villa's tearoom.
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