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is the capital of
Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...
in central
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. , the city had an estimated
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .


Etymology

The name "Kanazawa" (, ), which literally means "marsh of gold", is said to derive from the legend of the peasant Imohori Togoro (literally "Togoro Potato-digger"), who was digging for potatoes when flakes of gold washed up. The well in the grounds of
Kenroku-en , located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is a strolling style garden constructed during the Edo period by the Maeda clan. Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en, Kenroku-en is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is noted fo ...
is known as to acknowledge these roots. The area where Kanazawa is was originally known as Ishiura, whose name is preserved at the Ishiura Shrine near Kenrokuen. The area around Kanazawa was part of ancient
Kaga Province was a province of Japan in the area that is today the south and western portion of Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Kaga bordered on Echizen, Etchū, Hida, and Noto Provinces. It was part of Hokurikudō Circuit. Its ...
.


History


Muromachi period

During the
Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...
(1336 to 1573), as the power of the central
shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
s in
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
was waning, Kaga Province came under the control of the
Ikkō-ikki were armed military leagues that formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries, composed entirely of members of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism. In the early phases, these ''ikki'' leagues opposed the rule of local Shugo, go ...
, followers of the teachings of priest
Rennyo Rennyo (, 1415–1499) was the 8th Monshu (Patriarch) of the Hongan-ji Temple of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, and descendant of founder Shinran. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists often referred to him as the restorer of the sect ( in Japanese). He ...
, of the sect, who displaced the official governors of the province, the Togashi clan, and established a kind of theocratic republic later known as " The Peasants' Kingdom." Their principal stronghold was the Kanazawa Gobo, on the tip of the Kodatsuno Ridge. Backed by high hills and flanked on two sides by rivers, it was a natural fortress, around which a
castle town A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, ...
developed. This was the start of what would become the city of Kanazawa.


Sengoku period

In 1580, during the
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
(1467 to 1615),
Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
sent
Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He was retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought ...
, and his general
Sakuma Morimasa was the son of Sakuma Moritsugu, cousin of Sakuma Nobumori, a prominent Oda retainer to Oda Nobuhide and Oda Nobunaga. After several campaigns in which he had fought, he was given the nickname ''oni-genba'' which literally means "Demon Genba", ...
, to conquer the Kaga Ikko-ikki. After overthrowing the "Peasant's Kingdom", Morimasa was awarded the province as his fief. However, after the assassination of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, he was displaced by
Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...
, who founded
Kaga Domain The , also known as the , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1583 to 1871.Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...
in 1600, Maeda sided with
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
and thus was able to further enlarge his holdings to a massive 1.2 million ''
koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. One koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about of rice. It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1,000 gō. One ''gō'' is the traditional volume of a single serving of rice (before co ...
'' — by far the largest
feudal domain A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. In contrast, th ...
within the
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
. The
Maeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan who occupied most of the Hokuriku region of central Honshū from the end of the Sengoku period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Maeda claimed descent from the Sugawara clan through Sugawara no Kiyotom ...
continued to rule Kaga Domain from
Kanazawa Castle is a large, partially restored Japanese castle in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. It is located adjacent to the celebrated Kenroku-en Garden, which once formed the castle's private outer garden. It was the headquarters of Kaga Domain, ruled by the Ma ...
through the end of the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
. File:Bronze statue of Rennyo Syonin.jpg,
Rennyo Rennyo (, 1415–1499) was the 8th Monshu (Patriarch) of the Hongan-ji Temple of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism, and descendant of founder Shinran. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists often referred to him as the restorer of the sect ( in Japanese). He ...
File:佐久間玄蕃盛政.png,
Sakuma Morimasa was the son of Sakuma Moritsugu, cousin of Sakuma Nobumori, a prominent Oda retainer to Oda Nobuhide and Oda Nobunaga. After several campaigns in which he had fought, he was given the nickname ''oni-genba'' which literally means "Demon Genba", ...
File:Statue of Maeda Toshiie in Kanazawa - Detail - 2016-04-16.jpg,
Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...


Edo period

Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...
and his successors greatly enlarged
Kanazawa Castle is a large, partially restored Japanese castle in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. It is located adjacent to the celebrated Kenroku-en Garden, which once formed the castle's private outer garden. It was the headquarters of Kaga Domain, ruled by the Ma ...
and carefully planned the layout of the surrounding
jōkamachi The were centres of the domains of the feudal lords in medieval Japan. The ''jōkamachi'' represented the new, concentrated military power of the daimyo in which the formerly decentralized defence resources were concentrated around a single, cent ...
to meet strategic and defensive concerns. On April 14, 1631, a fire consumed much of the city, including the castle. In 1632
Maeda Toshitsune was an early-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 2nd ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and the 3rd hereditary chieftain of the Maeda clan. Toshitsune was a brother of Maeda Toshinaga and a son of Maeda Toshiie. He ...
ordered the construction of a canal to bring water from the upper Sai River to the castle to alleviate a water shortage problem. Water was drawn from far upstream, and channeled through kilometres of canals and pipes carefully laid at a 750:1 slope for about to the castle. The water was fed to the castle under the moat that lay between it and what is now Kenrokuen by an artesian well. The large lake in
Kenrokuen , located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is a strolling style garden constructed during the Edo period by the Maeda clan. Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en, Kenroku-en is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is noted fo ...
, Kasumi-ga-Ike, acted as an emergency supply. Local legend has it that the lake has a plug, which could be pulled to increase the water in the moats. The series of moats were laid out in the early seventeenth century. Initially they were dry, but later connected to the rivers. The Inner Moat was dug in only 27 days, and averaged about four to five feet wide. The Outer Moat took a bit longer, and averages some six to nine feet in width. Though much of the Inner Moat has been filled in, large sections of the Outer Moat remain. The earth removed from the moat was piled into ridges along the inner side, as an added defence measure. Before the Maeda clan arrived in Kanazawa, the town had a population of only 5,000. However, thanks to Maeda efforts, that number rose quickly. By 1700, Kanazawa rivaled Rome, Amsterdam, and Madrid in size with its population of over 100,000. The Maeda summoned samurai retainers to live in Kanazawa and offered a set of incentives to attract the artisans and merchants needed to support the samurai population. Chartered merchants and artisans received economic, social, and political privileges in exchange for moving to the city: they were guaranteed business, exempt from certain taxes, and given pieces of land for shops and residences. These merchants and artisans were at the top of the
chōnin was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. Social class The ''chōnin'' emerged in ''joka-machi'' or castle t ...
, or townsman, social class. Other merchants and artisans, who made up the rest of the ''chōnin'', came without such promises. Some were first hired as servants for samurai or wealthy merchant families and decided to stay in the city even after their contracts expired, though most moved to Kanazawa for no reason other than the commercial opportunities the city presented. The government further facilitated growth by responding to the needs of these newcomers with projects like the Sai River Project. Because the Sai River split in two and the castle was located in the center, a part of the riverbed was unusable. In the 1610s, the construction project diverted the secondary stream into the main river, thus creating usable land, where four new wards opened for ''chōnin'' settlement. Some of these poorer merchants became successful enough to compete with chartered merchants for city administration positions, but many supported themselves by making and selling low cost goods, such as umbrellas and straw sandals, for mass consumption. This signifies that the commoner population of Kanazawa began to generate its own consumption demands, thus stimulating even more growth. Kanazawa flourished largely because of a mutually beneficial relationship between the ''daimyō'' and the ''chōnin''. The samurai relied on merchants and artisans for goods and services, while the ''chōnin'' were able to thrive because of the protection that the ''daimyō'' provided. Coming out of the
Sengoku Period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
, castle towns were particularly appealing because of their security and defenses. Kanazawa's growth was indicative of a larger trend in Japan from 1580 to 1700:
urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...
. In those 120 years, the population of the country nearly doubled, reaching approximately 30,000,000, and the percentage of people living in urban towns of more than 10,000 residents grew more than tenfold. Kanazawa continued to grow until 1710, when the ''chōnin'' population reached 64,987, and the city's total reached approximately 120,000. The population then stabilized. Much of the economic and population growth in Kanazawa, as well as in other Japanese castle towns, occurred during Japan's closed country policy (''
sakoku is the most common name for the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate under which, during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1868), relations and trade between Japan and other countries were severely limited, and almost all ...
''). Beginning in the 1630s, Japan had little or no influence from other countries. However, this phase was clearly not a sign of backwardness or decline. The growth that Japan experienced while operating under ''sakoku'' policy was largely possible because of castle towns such as Kanazawa. They facilitated growth in a way that did not require foreign influence, thus contributing to the success and stability of Japan at the time. The vast wealth of the Maeda was channeled into arts and crafts, rather than military pursuits, and Kanazawa became the centre of the "Million-koku Culture", which helped ease suspicions held by the shogunate over the domain's wealth and the status of its ''daimyō'' as an "Outer Lord" or ''
Tozama daimyō was a class of powerful magnates or ''daimyō'' (大名) considered to be outsiders by the ruler of Japan during the Edo period (江戸時代). ''Tozama daimyō'' were classified in the Tokugawa shogunate (江戸幕府) as ''daimyō'' who becam ...
''. The third ''daimyō''
Maeda Toshitsune was an early-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 2nd ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and the 3rd hereditary chieftain of the Maeda clan. Toshitsune was a brother of Maeda Toshinaga and a son of Maeda Toshiie. He ...
, formed the "Kaga Workmanship Office" and promoted lacquer and gold-and-lacquer-work; and the fifth ''daimyō'',
Maeda Tsunanori was an Edo period Japanese people, Japanese samurai, and the 4th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan. He was the 5th hereditary chieftain of the Kanazawa Maeda clan. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" (犬千代). Biogra ...
, collected works of art and artisans from all over the country. Kanazawa was one of the largest cities in Japan throughout the Edo period. File:長町武家屋敷跡004.jpg, Nagamachi Buke Yashiki District File:Kazue Machi (119970569).jpeg, Kazue Machi File:Higashi Chaya District (50154603457).jpg, Higashiyamahigashi (Higashi-Chaya) File:Nishichayagai003.jpg, Nishi Chaya-gai (Nishi-Chaya)


Meiji period

Following the
Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
, the modern city of Kanazawa was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The borders of the city gradually expanded by annexing neighbouring towns and villages bringing the area of the city from its initial 10.40 square kilometers to its present 468.64 square kilometers. File:The Forth High School Memorial Museum of Cultural Exchange Ishikawa05s3s3750.jpg, The Fourth High School Memorial Museum of Cultural Exchange, Ishikawa File:Ishikawa-ken History Museum03s3s4272b.jpg,
Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum is a prefectural museum in Kanazawa, Japan, dedicated to the history and culture of Ishikawa Prefecture. The three ICP red brick buildings date to 1909-14 and functioned first as the local arsenal, then after the Pacific War as the Kanazawa C ...
File:Kanazawa Literary Hall.jpg, Kanazawa Literary Hall


Heisei period

On April 1, 1996, Kanazawa was proclaimed a
core city In urban planning, a historic core city or central city is the municipality with the largest 1940 population in the present metropolitan area (metropolitan statistical area). This term was retired by the US census bureau and replaced by the term ...
with increased local autonomy.


Government

Kanazawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a
unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...
city legislature of 38 members. Since March 2022 the mayor is Takahasi Murayama. His predecessor was Yukiyoshi Yamano who had been mayor since December 2010. Yamano resigned to run for the seat of governor of Ishikawa prefecture. The city is the seat of the Ishikawa Prefectural Assembly, and contributes 16 of the 43 members of that body. In terms of national politics, the city forms the Ishikawa 1st District with one seat in the
lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...
of the
Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
.


Geography

Kanazawa is located in north-western Ishikawa Prefecture in the
Hokuriku region The is located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan and is part of the larger Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to the former Koshi Province (Japan), Koshi Province and Hokurikudō are ...
of Japan and is bordered by the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
to the west and
Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 993,848 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...
to the east. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. The eastern portion of the city is dominated by the
Japanese Alps The is a series of mountain ranges in Japan which bisect the main island of Honshu. The peaks that tower over central Honshu have long been the object of veneration and pilgrimage. These mountains had long been exploited by local people for raw m ...
. Parts of the city are within the borders of the
Hakusan National Park is a national park in the Chūbu region of Honshū, Japan. Established in 1962, it spans the borders of Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, and Toyama prefectures. Its main geographical feature is Mount Haku. In 1980 an area of 480 km² corresponding ...
.


Climate

Kanazawa has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by hot, humid summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. Average temperatures are slightly cooler than those of Tokyo, with means approximately in January, in April, in August, in October, and in December. The lowest temperature on record was on January 27, 1904, with a maximum of standing as a record since September 8, 1902. The city is distinctly wet, with an average humidity of 73% and 193 rainy days in an average year. Precipitation is highest in the autumn and winter; it averages more than / month November through January when the
Aleutian Low The Aleutian Low is a semi-permanent low-pressure system located near the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea during the Northern Hemisphere winter, driven by warm sea water compared to cooler land. It is a climatic feature centered near the Aleu ...
is strongest, but it is above every month of the year.


Neighbouring municipalities

;
Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...
* Hakusan * Nonoichi *
Tsubata is a town located in Kahoku District, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 37,694 in 13,873 households, and a population density of 430 persons per km2. The total area of the town was . Geography Tsubata is locat ...
* Uchinada ;
Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 993,848 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...
* Oyabe * Nanto


Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kanazawa has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.


Sister cities

Kanazawa is twinned with the following cities:


Economy

Kanazawa is a regional commercial centre and transportation hub for Ishikawa Prefecture. It remains noted for its traditional handicrafts industry, including the production of
Kutani ware is a style of Japanese porcelain traditionally supposed to be from Kutani, now a part of Kaga, Ishikawa, in the former Kaga Province. It is divided into two phases: ''Ko-Kutani'' (old Kutani), from the 17th and early 18th centuries, and ''Saik ...
ceramics, and is a major tourist destination.


Education


Universities and colleges


International College of Technology, Kanazawa
one of the oldest private technical college in Japan * Hokuriku Gakuin University, a private Christian university which celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding in 2010, with associated junior college *
Hokuriku University , abbreviated as is a private university in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. The university is locally nicknamed ''Hokudai'', though typically the term is used nationwide to refer to Hokkaido University. History Founded in 1975, it was founded as a s ...
a private liberal arts college with a business management department specializing in foreign languages and a School of Pharmacy *
Kanazawa Institute of Technology is an institution of higher learning in Nonoichi, Ishikawa, Nonoichi City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often called KIT, or for short. It is known for its unique educational policy that attaches importance to initiative of students. One ...
, a private Science and Engineering University founded in 1965 *
Kanazawa College of Art The , colloquially known as Bidai or Kanabi, is a public university in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. About Kanazawa College of Art was founded in 1946 by the Kanazawa municipal government following World War II, and became a full-fledged universi ...
, a public university operated by the city government *
Kanazawa Gakuin College is a private university, private junior college in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. Originally established in 1950 as a women's junior college, it became coeducational in 1998. External links Official Website
Junior colleges in Japan Educatio ...
, a private junior college *
Kanazawa Gakuin University is a private university in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. The school opened initially as Kanazawa Private Women's College in 1946, and became Kanazawa Women's University in 1987. It became coeducational and took on its current name in 2017. Sports ...
, private liberal arts college * Kanazawa Seiryo University, a private business and education university *
Kanazawa University Kanazawa University (, abbreviated to ) is a Japanese Japanese national university, national university in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. The university was founded in 1949, although it can trace it ...
is a large
national university A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. In the United States, the term "national university" connotes the highe ...
that traces its history back to the founding of a small medical school in 1862. Its immediate predecessor was the Fourth Upper High School, one of the elite preparatory schools for the
Imperial Universities The were founded by the Empire of Japan between 1886 and 1939, seven in Mainland Japan, one in Korea under Japanese rule and one in Taiwan under Japanese rule. These universities were funded by the imperial government until the end of World War I ...
before the war. Many prominent politicians and other notables were graduates of 'Shiko', as it was known. * Seiryo Women's Junior College, a private women's junior college *


Primary and secondary education

Kanazawa has 58 public elementary schools operated by the city government and one public elementary school operated by the national government (associated with Kanazawa University) and one private elementary school. The city has 25 public middle schools operated by the city government, one public combined middle/high school operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education, one public combined middle/high school operated by the national government (associated with Kanazawa University) and two private combined middle/high schools. Aside from the above combined middle/high schools, Kanazawa has 11 public high schools operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education, one public industrial high school operated by the city government and four private high schools. Ishikawa Prefecture also operates five special education schools in Kanazawa.


Transport


Air

The nearest airport is
Komatsu Airport is an international airport located west southwest of Komatsu Station in the city of Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest airport in the Hokuriku region and serves the southern portion of Ishikawa Prefecture including the c ...
in the city of Komatsu.


Railways

Kanazawa is served by the
JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
Hokuriku Main Line The Hokuriku Main Line () is a railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with Tsuruga Station in Tsuruga, Fukui. The line formerly extended as far as Naoetsu Station in ...
and the
Hokuriku Railroad The is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its li ...
. Since 14 March 2015, the city is also served by the
Hokuriku Shinkansen The Hokuriku Shinkansen () is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga, Fukui, Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR ...
, shortening the trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa to around 2 and a half hours. With the opening of the Shinkansen line in March 2015, part of the Hokuriku Main Line which was formerly operated by JR West was separated and operated by the third-sector company
IR Ishikawa Railway The is a Japanese Public-Private_Partnerships_In_Japan, third-sector railway company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Ishikawa Prefecture. The main line was separa ...
.


High-speed rail

;
West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
(JR West) *
Hokuriku Shinkansen The Hokuriku Shinkansen () is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga, Fukui, Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR ...
: - -


Conventional lines

;
IR Ishikawa Railway The is a Japanese Public-Private_Partnerships_In_Japan, third-sector railway company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Ishikawa Prefecture. The main line was separa ...
(IR) * Ishikawa Railway: - - - ; 22px
Hokuriku Railroad The is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as . The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its li ...
(Hokutetsu) * Asanogawa Line: - - - - - - - - - * Ishikawa Line: - - -


Roads


Expressway

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Hokuriku Expressway The , (abbreviated as , is a 4-laned national Expressways of Japan, expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company. Overview The first section was opened in 1972 by Japan ...
*Noto Satoyama Expressway


Japan National Route

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Seaways


Seaport

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Port of Kanazawa A port is a maritime law, maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge Affreightment, cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inla ...


Local attractions

Kanazawa was one of the few major Japanese cities to be spared destruction by air raids during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, and as a result, much of Kanazawa's considerable architectural heritage has been preserved.
Kenrokuen Garden , located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, is a strolling style garden constructed during the Edo period by the Maeda clan. Along with Kairaku-en and Kōraku-en, Kenroku-en is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan and is noted for i ...
is by far the most famous part of Kanazawa. Originally built as the outer garden of
Kanazawa Castle is a large, partially restored Japanese castle in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. It is located adjacent to the celebrated Kenroku-en Garden, which once formed the castle's private outer garden. It was the headquarters of Kaga Domain, ruled by the Ma ...
, it was opened to the public in 1875. It is considered one of the "
three great gardens of Japan The , also known as "the three most famous gardens in Japan" are considered to include Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Kōraku-en in Okayama and Kairaku-en in Mito. The conception of gardens in a group of three is found elsewhere, for example, in the ...
" and is filled with a variety of trees, ponds, waterfalls and flowers stretching over . In winter, the park is notable for its
yukitsuri ''Yukitsuri'' (Japanese: 雪つり) is a Japanese technique for preserving trees and shrubs from heavy snow. Trees are given extra support by bamboo poles with ropes attached to limbs; whereas, shrubs are often tied tightly around the circumferen ...
ropes attached in a conical array to trees to support the branches under the weight of the heavy wet snow, thereby protecting the trees from damage.Outside Kenrokuen is the Ishikawa-mon, the back gate to Kanazawa Castle. The original castle was largely destroyed by fire in 1888 but has been partially restored. The Seisonkaku Villa was built in 1863 by
Maeda Nariyasu was an Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 12th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan. He was the 13th hereditary lord of the Kanazawa Maeda clan. Biography Nariyasu was born in Kanazawa in 1811, ... *Concubines: ** Okis ...
(13th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domin) for his mother, Takako. It was originally called Tatsumi Goten (Tatsumi Palace). Much of it has been dismantled, but what remains is one of the most elegant remaining feudal lord villas in Japan. The villa stands in a corner of Kenrokuen; separate admission fees apply. Notable features are the vividly coloured walls of the upper floor, with purple or red walls and dark-blue ceilings (red walls—''benigara''—are a Kanazawa tradition), and the custom-made English carpet in the audience chamber.The Oyama Shrine (Ishikawa), Oyama-jinja shrine, which is considered an Important Cultural Properties of Japan, Important Cultural Property, is also in Kanazawa. It is noted for its imposing three-story Shinmon gate influenced by Dutch design, built in 1875, with its brightly coloured stained-glass windows. Kanazawa's Myōryūji Temple also known as the ''Ninja-dera'' (Ninja Temple) is an amalgamation of traditional temple architecture, hidden doors, passageways, and hidden escape routes. Local legend has it that 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. Mount Utatsu gives a commanding view of the city of Kanazawa. Toyokuni Shrine (Kanazawa), Toyokuni Shrine, Utatsu Shrine (Kanazawa), Utatsu Shrine (a Tenman-gū), and Atago Shrine (Kanazawa), Atago Shrine, known together as the Mount Utatsu Three Shrines, are found on the mountain. A monument to author Shūsei Tokuda is located near the summit.


Traditional architecture

Kanazawa boasts numerous
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
(1603–1867) former geisha houses in 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. This area retains the look and feel of pre-modern Japan, its two-story wooden façades plain and austere. The effect is accentuated by the early morning mist. At night, the street is lit by recreated Taishō-period streetlamp. Houses were taxed on the width of the frontage, leading to the development of many long, thin houses. Unlike samurai houses, they were built right up to the road and directly abutted their neighbours. They were two-storied, though the upper floor was used mainly for storage, particularly at the front of the house, above the shop area. One feature of Kanazawa merchant houses is the long earth corridor that runs from the front door to the rear of the house. This was usually on one side, and the rooms opened off it. The typical merchant's house, would have the shop area, then a couple of inner rooms, with the most important room at the back, facing the inner garden. Beyond that was the kitchen area, and at the rear of the house would be a thick-walled fireproof storehouse. Though very few from the Edo period remain, the basic style remained unchanged until the World War II. One notable feature of the design is the 'sode-utatsu' wings extending forward on the sides of the upper floor. Their exact purpose is not certain, but one theory is that they were wind blockers, which is logical given Kanazawa's weather. Snow was also a significant factor in house design. The roofs sloped into a central garden that was designed to allow snow to collect as much as to provide light to the rear. While the sea of black-glazed tiles sparkling in the sun is a common tourist image of Kanazawa today, the traditional architectural style used wooden boards held down by stones. Due to the heavy snowfalls of the Japan Sea coast, traditional tiles were considered to be too heavy. The use of tiles on the frontage and boards under the eaves is to prevent snow damage.


Samurai areas

Large-scale reorganization of the samurai areas took place in 1611. Areas had been ordained by income. As the total income of the domain had increased fourfold in the past couple of decades, there was some reorganization to be done. And room had to be found for the 14 families with incomes over 3,000 ''
koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. One koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about of rice. It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1,000 gō. One ''gō'' is the traditional volume of a single serving of rice (before co ...
'' and their retainers, not to mention the large number of samurai who arrived from Takaoka, Toyama, Takaoka (in Toyama Prefecture) with Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord, when he took up his position. The richest families were moved out of the castle and given massive estates throughout the city. Their own retainers were housed in huge complexes nearby. The most notable example in Kanazawa is Honda-machi, where the retainers of the rich and powerful Honda family lived, in what was almost a town within a town. In most cases, even with large fiefs like Sendai and Satsuma, samurai tended to live on their own land. But in Kaga all samurai, regardless of income, lived in Kanazawa. When Kanazawa was finished in more or less its final form in the late 17th century, over three-quarters of it was samurai housing. Nearest the castle were the huge estates of the Eight Houses (chief vassals) and their own retainers. For every 100 koku of income, a samurai was given about 550 square metres of land, and average of the "middle-class" samurai was 800, which is huge compared to modern Japanese housing. The richest vassal family, the Hondas, had a 50,000 ''koku'' income. The minimum for ''daimyo'' level was 10,000 ''koku'', and apart from the Eight Houses, some twelve families had incomes in excess of this. Kanazawa was filled with huge mansions. Size and location of samurai housing was determined by income and standing. The richest and most powerful samurai in Kanazawa had their own men, often hundreds of them, who were housed in large areas that usually adjoined the main house. Samurai houses shared a similar basic pattern: a single-floored residence, usually fairly square or rectangular in plan, surrounded by a garden both the vegetable and the decorative kinds. The roof was gabled and faced the road. The boundary wall was usually made of beaten earth, topped with tiles. There are a number of them around in the city, most notably in the Nagamachi area. The size and height of the wall and the entry gate were also dictated by rank. Samurai over 400 ''koku'' in income had a stable gate, used to house guards and horses. Though the Nagamachi area is promoted in the tourist brochures as the 'samurai area', the overwhelming majority of the houses are not samurai houses, but modern post-war housing. There are very few genuine samurai houses in Kanazawa. (This is because after the Meiji Restoration the samurai found themselves bereft of their traditional income, and many of them ended up selling off their estates, which were turned into fields before being redeveloped as modern housing before World War II.)


Temple areas

One distinctive aspect of Kanazawa, and other castle towns, is the clustering of temples near the entrances. When Kanazawa was ruled by the Ikkō-shū, Ikkō, the temples were all , the Ikkō sect. After the ''Ikkō'' were defeated, other sects moved in: Sōtō, Shingon Buddhism, Shingon, Nichiren Buddhism, Hokke, Ji, etc. They were placed in their present locations by around 1616. In the Teramachi ("temple town" area), they were lined up side by side along a long straight road leading to the foot of Nodayama. Defensive purposes have often been argued for this type of planning, and it is true that the wide spaces, thick walls, and large halls of temples were able to be used as emergency fortifications. However, to what extent this influenced the layout is not certain. It was, in Kanazawa's case at least, never put to the test. On the other side of town, the Utatsuyama temple district, at the foot of the hill of the same name, has smaller temples and twisty roads.


Culture

Hyakumangoku Matsuri and Asano-gawa Enyukai are the major festivals held in Kanazawa. ''Kanazawa-haku'' is gold that 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 the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum. It is found throughout Kanazawa and Ishikawa; Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan's high-quality gold leaf. The gold leaf that covers the famous Kinkaku-ji, Golden Pavilion in Kyoto was produced in Kanazawa. Gold leaf 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. 'Cultural landscape in Kanazawa. Tradition and culture in the castle town' has been designated an Cultural Landscapes of Japan, Important Cultural Landscape.


Local cuisine

Kanazawa is known for its traditional Kaga Cuisine, with seafood a specialty. The ''sake'' produced in this region, derived from the rice grown in
Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...
with the considerable precipitation of the
Hokuriku region The is located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lies along the Sea of Japan and is part of the larger Chūbu region. It is almost equivalent to the former Koshi Province (Japan), Koshi Province and Hokurikudō are ...
, allowing for an ample supply of clean, fresh water is considered to be of high quality. Omicho market is a market in the middle of the city, originally open-air, and now covered, which dates back to the Edo period. Most of the shops there sell seafood. Popular food and drink in Kanazawa include: * Jibu-ni, Jibuni - ''a soup dish consisting of duck, vegetables, and wheat flour. It is said to symbolize Kanazawa.'' * Kaburazushi - ''a traditional fermented dish that has existed since the Edo Era.'' * Kaga Vegetables - ''premium vegetables supporting the traditional cuisine of old Kanazawa.'' * Kanazawa Sake - ''refined sake from the region.'' * Wagashi (Japanese confections) of Kanazawa - ''Admired for its ability to be sampled by the 5 senses of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing.''


Notable people


Politicians and public servants

* Nobuyuki Abe (1875 ~ 1953; 36th Prime Minister of Japan) * Takuo Godō (Vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy) * Yoichi Hatta (Engineer of Governor-General of Taiwan) * Senjūrō Hayashi (33rd Prime Minister of Japan) * Tetsuo Kutsukake (Cabinet minister) * Ryūtarō Nagai (Cabinet minister) * Naoki Okada (Politician) * Hayakawa Senkichirō (Politician, President of South Manchuria Railway) * Nakahashi Tokugorō (Cabinet minister)


Business people

* Inokuchi Ariya (1856 - 1923; Founder of Ebara Corporation) * Takaaki Kidani (Founder and President of Bushiroad) * Shitagau Noguchi (Founder of Nichitsu zaibatsu) * Masatsune Ogura (President of Sumitomo Group)


Academics

* Hisashi Kimura (1870 – 1943; Astronomer) * Yoshio Koide (Physicist) * Miyake Setsurei (Philosopher) * D. T. Suzuki (Zen Buddhism scholar) * Gaisi Takeuti (Mathematician) * Yoshirō Taniguchi (Architect)


Art and culture

* Kyōka Izumi (1873 ~ 1939; Novelist) * Clifton Karhu (American artist specializing in woodblock prints) * Yasushi Kataoka (Architect) * Natsuo Kirino (Novelist) * Shōgyo Ōba (Maki-e Japanese lacquerware, lacquer artist, Living National Treasure of Japan) * Murō Saisei (Novelist, Poet) * Takumi Shibano (Science-fiction translator and author) * Seiko Takata (dancer) * Yoshirō Taniguchi (Architect) * Shūsei Tokuda (Novelist)


Media and artists

* Azumi Inoue (Singer) * Tatsuya Isaka (Actor) * Takeshi Kaga (Actor) * Toshiko Koshijima (b. 1980; Singer of the band Capsule (band), Capsule) * Ryutaro Morimoto (Singer) * Yasutaka Nakata (b. 1980; Producer of Capsule) * Mamiko Noto (Voice actress) * Shun Shioya (Actor) * Ryōko Shintani (Voice actress) * Aya Suzaki (Voice actress) * Miki Takakura (Actress) * Misato Tanaka (Actress) * Mayuko Watanabe (Journalist) * Kazuki Yao (Voice actor)


Sports people


Athletics

* Kenkichi Oshima (1908 ~ 1985; Triple jump bronze medalist at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles) * Takanori Sugibayashi (b. 1976; Triple jumper in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics)


Baseball

* Eiji Kanamori * Ryosuke Miyaguni * Arihito Muramatsu * Kentaro Nishikawa * Shintaro Yoshida


Football

* Koji Hashimoto (footballer), Koji Hashimoto * Sena Inami * Kazuma Kita * Hikaru Kitagawa * Takahiro Takagi


Sumo

* Dejima Takeharu * Enhō Akira * Kagayaki Taishi


Others

* Igor Fraga (Motorsports) * Keiji Kojima (Keirin) * Yu Koshikawa (Volleyball) * Akira Masuda (Karate) * Keita Masuda (Badminton) * Kaori Matsumoto (Judo) * Hiroshi Nakano (rower), Hiroshi Nakano (Rower) * Rana Nakano (Trampolining) * Yuichi Nakayama (Motorsports) * Naoya Nomura (Professional wrestling [''puroresu'']) * Hisakatsu Oya (Professional wrestling ''[puroresu]'') * Katsuhiko Sumii (Horse trainer)


Gallery

File:もてなしドーム3.jpg, Kanazawa Station (2013) File:Omichoichibakan004.jpg, (2013) File:Kanazawa view from Utatsuyama Park.jpg, Skyline of Kanazawa (2017) File:Cityscape at downtown Kanazawa.jpg, Central business district of Kanazawa (2020) File:Katamachi Crossing.jpg, Center of (2022)


See also

*Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa


References


External links

*
Kanazawa City official website


{{Authority control Kanazawa, Cities in Ishikawa Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan