Kanazawa

Cultural landscape in Kanazawa. Tradition and culture in the castle town' has been designated an Important Cultural Landscape.
Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japanese Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers.
Kenroku-en 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 support the branches under the weight of the heavy wet snow, thereby protecting the trees from damage.
Kanazawa is known for its traditional Kaga Cuisine. Seafood is a specialty, jumbo shrimp, followed by sushi and sashimi. The sake produced in this region is of high quality, smooth and sweet, derived from 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 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.