History of Kenrokuen Garden

[ Influence of cultural enlightenment ]

Kenrokuen, as designed by Nariyasu, was used for various purposes in the Meiji period. In 1871, at the foot of Yamazaki Hill a residence for a mining scholar was built, and in front of the waterfall a physics and chemistry school was established. Later the school was abolished, and the scholar left. In 1872, the resident was joined to Seisonkaku Villa to form the Kanazawa Museum, but the building was razed to the ground in a fire.

In 1874, Kenrokuen Garden got a new lease on life when it became a park and was opened to the public. However, in about 1897, because the number of teahouses had increased to 50, competition became fierce, and gradually shops were forced out of business. The trees in the garden were no longer cared for properly, and Kenrokuen Garden deteriorated.

In 1909, because the crown prince planned to visit Kenrokuen Garden and stay at Seisonkaku Villa, Ishikawa Prefecture fixed up the garden. At that time the number of teahouses was 14, the same as today.

[ Designation as a "Special Place of Scenic Beauty" ]

During World War II, part of Kenrokuen Garden was used as fields for growing food, and pine resin was collected from 200 pine trees for airplane fuel. One can still see the scars on the tree trunks that were so barbarously scraped.

In 1922, the garden was designated as a "Place of Scenic Beauty". Kenrokuen Garden was open 24 hours a day, and became a haven of relaxation for the citizens of Ishikawa. However, many problems ensued; rocks disappeared, decorative items such as lanterns were damaged, moss was removed and trees were cut.

The people of Ishikawa requested that Kenrokuen Garden be protected, and in 1976, opening hours were set and an entrance fee started to be charged. At that point about 100 years had passed since Kenrokuen Garden had been opened to the public.

Subsequently, a preservation and maintenance program was started, which gave the garden a new lease on life; in 1985 it was designated as a "Special Place of Scenic Beauty" and "National Treasure".

A project to fix up the area around Hase Pond, referred to as a "Major Garden of the Heisei Period", began in 1994 and was completed in 2000. The Shigure-tei and Funano-ochin, which had been torn down at the beginning of the Meiji period, were reconstructed, and a meandering stream was created from Hase Pond to the plum grove. This added considerably to the vastness of the garden.