You have to pay a fee to visit this garden but it's definitely worth it. Make sure you get a combined ticket if you also visit the Castle. It's very relaxing to stroll around the garden, plan enough time so you don't have to rush around. There are toilets, vending machines and souvenirs shops on the grounds.

You could spend several hours here. The gardens are a must see. The water adds so much to the overall beauty and reflections of the plantings in the water offer great photo opportunities.

Gorgeous well kept garden with some leaves changing colors this fall. If you are over 65 you get in for free. Many ponds, statues, bridges, waterfalls. Spent about 1 1/2 hours here and it was not too crowded either.Definitely worth seeing.

Gorgeous and enormous garden that prompts peace and reflection. You could spend hours exploring it. Gardeners are constantly at work and the park reflects their attention and care. Many teahouses and coffee shops within. Entry fee very cheap.

A gorgeous garden. Unlike most Japanese gardens that are designed to be enjoyed at fixed points, this garden is meant to be admired while walking (迴遊式花園 wandelgarten ~ walking garden). Actually, this is the character of most gardens around the world, but it is relatively rare in Japan. It wasn't until visited this place that I learned that "Kenroku" ( Six attributes - a combination of six characteristics that are difficult to appear at the same time) originated from a poem by Li Gefei (李格非), a poet of the Song Dynasty in China. ……. and He was father of the very outstanding poetess Li Qingzhao (李清照). The garden is carefully designed and maintained. It is worth a visit if you have time, but in my opinion, it's not a must-see.

This is an absolute must see garden in Japan. It’s absolutely stunning, beautifully manicured and maintained. The grounds are quite large so even with inevitable tour groups, it doesn’t feel crowded. The cherry tree grove hadn’t quite bloomed while we were there but it really didn’t matter as the whole garden is so pretty and interesting.

Beautiful gardens but meeting a staff member that was so passionate about the place was the highlight for me. To see the enthusiasm and pride in his eyes when he spoke to us about where he worked was as beautiful as the gardens themselves. He showed us what the gardens looked like covered in snow and explained the ladies I had seen working hard intricately weeding by hand all day. They had so much pride in their work and the results are to be appreciated.

This is the most beautiful garden I have ever been in. There are lots of water features for reflections and, as the cherry blossom was in full bloom, it was easy to take some wonderful photos. Although it was busy it felt calm, spiritual and peaceful with everyone walking quietly around. There were lots of people working in the garden, weeding and pruning the trees and you can tell how much care is taken here. Would definitely recommend visiting here.

I had visited few of the top beautiful gardens in China: the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai and the Lingering Garden in Suzhou. Chinese Gardens tend to be bold, exotic, ornamental and boast of exquisite architectural structures dotted with fine elegant calligraphy. Japanese Gardens, on the other hand, influenced by Zen Buddhism are simpler, meditative and emphasize on tranquility, balance and serenity. When I was residing in Jurong East in Singapore, I used to visit the Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden and they invoke different feelings in me on the beauty of landscape designs. This Kenrokuen Garden (兼六園)is one of the top three most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan and is located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. It was opened to the public in 1871. The name "Kenrokuen" means "a garden combining six." It was considered to have all six attributes of a good garden stated in Chinese literature in the 11th century; spaciousness, quietness, human strength, stateliness, water and rocks, and beautiful views. Artificial elements of bridges, lanterns, and pagodas were designed to fit seamlessly into the surrounding natural elements of rock, plants, and water. Admission is free for all visitors aged 65 and above. We showed our passports and there is no second query. It was drizzling when we visited the garden. The environment was so peaceful and cool. As I strolled around the garden, my mind gradually went into a meditative state and my thoughts become calmer amidst the zen peaceful surrounding. I like this natural setting. It is shinrin yoku (forest bathing). Air is fresh and the many evergreen trees invoke tranquility and serenity. The bridges, the rocks and the gravel, the stone lantern, the stream, the fountain dotted along the path and I wondered if I am strolling on a philosophical path searching for the meaning of life and its emptiness. Walking around the Garden invokes moments of inner peace and calmness in the mind. Let all thoughts of unhappiness, anxiety, worries, blow away with the wind, 让一切随风.

The most beautiful garden I have seen so far in Japan. Went there on three consecutive days (twice right after 7 am). Most impressive thing: different parts have different characters in terms of vegetation and form language.