Kanazawa, Ishikawa
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Kanazawa (金沢市; -shi) is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan.
Geography, climate, and population
Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².
Kanazawa's weather is temperate though rainy. Average temperatures are similar to those of Tokyo though slightly cooler. Mean temperatures are approximately 4 C in January, 15 C in April, 25 C in July and August, 15 C in October, and 5 C in December. The minimum temperature on record was -2.3 C (2002), with a maximum of 37.5 C (2002). The city is relatively wet, with an average humidity of 73% and 178 rainy days in an average year. Precipitation is highest in the autumn and winter; it averages more than 250 mm / month November through January.
As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 456,627 and the density of 976.18 persons per km².
History
The modern city of Kanazawa was founded on April 1, 1889.
Kanazawa literally means "marsh of gold": the name is said to derive from the legend of a peasant called 'Imohori Togoro' who washed gold dust from potatoes, those were glutinous yams, into a well (known as 'Kinjo Reitaku'). Kanazawa was once ruled by the Maeda family from 1583 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
During the 1940's, Kanazawa was also home to R. H. Blyth, one of the premier Western interpretors of Zen philosophy, and prolific translator of haiku. During World War II, his house there, including his extensive library, was destroyed by Allied bombing.
Culture
Hyakumangoku Matsuri and Asano-gawa Enyukai are the major festivals held in Kanazawa.
Kanazawa Haku is gold which 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 a gold leaf museum (Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum). It is found throughout Kanazawa and Ishikawa, and Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's high-quality gold leaf. Haku 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.
Government
The mayor (as of 2005) is Tamotsu Yamade.Points of interest
Kanazawa was one of the few major Japanese cities to be spared USAF fire bombing during World War II. As a result, 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 was opened to the public in 1875. It is considered one of the "three most beautiful gardens in Japan" and is filled with a variety of trees, ponds, waterfalls and flowers stretching over 25 acres (100,000 m²). In winter, the park is notable for its yukitsuri — ropes attached in a conical array to trees to break up snow as it falls, thereby protecting the trees from damage.
Outside Kenrokuen is Ishakawa-mon, the gate to Kanazawa Castle. The original castle was destroyed by fire but superbly rebuilt in 2001. There are currently plans to re-create the original castle grounds in full, encompassing what is now Chuo Park, as well as adjacent areas.
The Seisonkaku Villa was built in the last years of the Edo Period by a Maeda lord for his mother. It is one of the most elegant, remaining samurai villas in Japan. The villa stands in a corner of Kenrokuen, but separate admission fees apply. (Source Japan-guide.com)
Kanazawa also boasts a 100 year old former geisha house: 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. It retains, almost completely, the look and feel of nineteenth century Japan, its two-story wooden facades plain and austere. The effect is accentuated by the early morning mist. Late at night, the street is lit by the period streetlamps.
The shrine Oyama-jinja, which is considered an Important Cultural Asset, is also in Kanazawa.
The city is also renowned as a traditional haunt of ninja. Kanazawa's Myoryuji Temple or ninja dera (ninja temple) is a fascinating amalgamation of traditional Zen architecture, hidden doors, passageways, and hidden escape routes. Although the temple is often referred to as ninja dera, it is an incorrect appellation. 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.
Local Cuisine
Kanazawa is well-known throughout Japan for its traditional cuisine. The seafood is a speciality, the jumbo shrimp in particular. Sushi and sashimi are also excellent. The Japanese sake produced in this region is of high quality, smooth and sweet. The quality of the local sake derives from the excellence of the rice grown in Ishikawa Prefecture as well as the considerable precipitation of the Hokuriku region, allowing for an ample supply of clean, fresh water. Omicho market is an open-air market in the middle of the city which dates back to the Edo period. Most of the shops there sell seafood. The market is a favorite place to purchase the best that Kanazawa has to offer.
Trivia
Kanazawa was the birthplace of Hatta Yoichi (1886-1942), the engineer who designed the Chianan Irrigation Waterworks in Taiwan.
Education
External links
- [Pictures of Kanazawa]
- [Official website] in English
- [A tourist's impression of Kanazawa] in English
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| Cities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakui | Hakusan | Kaga | Kahoku | Kanazawa (capital) | Komatsu | Nanao | Nomi | Suzu | Wajima | |||
| Districts | |||
| Hakui | Hosu | Ishikawa | Kahoku | Kashima | Nomi | |||
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