Kenrokuen Garden Tea Ceremony Experience Kanazawa

Kenrokuen Garden

Kenrokuen is counted among the three great gardens of Japan. It was shaped over almost two centuries by the feudal lords of the Kaga domain, who ruled from Kanazawa Castle next door, and it opened to the public in 1874. Its name means the garden that combines six qualities: spaciousness and seclusion, artifice and antiquity, flowing water and broad views. Ponds, streams, stone lanterns and carefully trained pines spread over about 11 hectares on a hill in the heart of the city.

Look for the two-legged Kotoji lantern beside Kasumigaike Pond, the symbol of Kanazawa, and the fountain fed only by natural water pressure, said to be the oldest in Japan. In winter the pines are protected by yukitsuri, conical rope supports against heavy snow. Kenrokuen opening hours are generally 7:00 to 18:00 from March to mid-October and 8:00 to 17:00 the rest of the year; Kenrokuen tickets are sold at each gate.

The Japanese tea ceremony

The tea ceremony, called chado or sado, the way of tea, is a ritual of preparing and serving powdered green tea that took its classic form in the sixteenth century. It is built on four principles: harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity. Every movement, from folding the silk cloth to cleaning the tea scoop, has a purpose, and the simple tea room is designed so that host and guests leave the outside world behind.

During the hour your instructor explains the meaning of the room, the utensils and the seasonal decoration, then shows you the guest's role. You receive and eat the sweet first, bow to your neighbour, take the bowl in your hands, turn it so you do not drink from its front, and finish the matcha in a few sips. Questions are welcome, and nobody expects perfection; the aim is calm attention.

Matcha, wagashi and Kanazawa's tea culture

The lords of Kaga were great patrons of the arts, and under them Kanazawa became one of Japan's main centres of tea culture, crafts and fine confectionery. Today the city is still famous for its wagashi, the delicate traditional sweets served with tea, and for its gold leaf, almost all of Japan's production of which comes from Kanazawa. Lacquerware and Kutani porcelain, used in many tea rooms, also come from this region.

In the ceremony you taste matcha whisked into a smooth, foamy tea with a gently bitter, grassy flavour, balanced by a sweet made from ingredients such as bean paste and rice flour, often shaped to reflect the season. If you enjoy the experience, the shops around the garden and the old teahouse districts sell matcha, utensils and wagashi to take with you.

Around Kenrokuen: castle, museums and teahouse districts

Kenrokuen sits at the centre of Kanazawa's sightseeing area, so the tea ceremony fits easily into a full day. Across the street, the Ishikawa-mon gate leads into Kanazawa Castle Park with its white-walled turrets and reconstructed storehouses, and a few minutes south is the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, known for its round glass building and playful installations.

A short bus ride or a 20-minute walk takes you to Higashi Chaya, the best preserved of the old teahouse districts, with wooden lattice façades along stone lanes, and to the Nagamachi samurai quarter with its earthen walls and canals. Many visitors book the 11:00 session, explore the garden afterwards and spend the afternoon in these districts among the best things to do in Kanazawa.