Kenrokuen Garden
Located within Kanazawa Castle Park in Ishikawa Prefecture, Kenrokuen Garden is one of Japan's most famous traditional landscape gardens. Together with Kairakuen and Korakuen Gardens, Kenrokuen Garden is one of the Three Most Beautiful Gardens of Japan. The gardens span 11.4 hectares, encompassing the Kasumigaike and Hisagoike ponds, Kotojitoro stone lantern, fountains, and seasonal foliage. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy the sight of seasonal flowers such as plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, and irises. During winter, the pine trees at Kenrokuen are protected using a special method called yukitsuri. Yukitsuri literally translates to "snow hanging", and is a method of arranging ropes in a conical shape to protect the tree branches from breaking due to the weight of the snow. Kenrokuen was named after the six factors that best bring out the beauty of a perfect landscape garden. The six factors are spaciousness, artificiality, antiquity, an abundance of water, beautiful garden views, and tranquility. Within the garden compounds, there are several teahouses, confectioneries, and restaurants. This shophouse-lined street is a popular spot during spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.