In Kanazawa City, many historical heritage sites, such as buildings, irrigation canals, gardens, and sacred forests, reflect a deep connection between culture, nature, and history. The City of Kanazawa actively conducts research and preservation efforts to pass these heritage treasures to future generations.
As part of these initiatives, Kanazawa City is hosting the “Kanazawa Historical Heritage Exploration Month,” from September 28th to November 30th, and OUIK is supporting this program.
During these months, multiple events are underway to experience the city’s historical heritage, including the event that was held on October 12th at the Nishi Family Garden, which was recently inscribed in the process to be designated as a national scenic spot.
Invited by Kanazawa Cultural Department, OUIK’s Research Fellow Dr. Juan provided a lecture and garden tour for 43 attendees.
The event was attended by the Mayor of Kanazawa City, Takashi Murayama, who opened with an introduction, highlighting the importance of Kanazawa’s garden culture and its growing international recognition. He acknowledged the city’s designation as a UNEP Model City for the Generation Restoration project and expressed gratitude to OUIK for its vital role in promoting Kanazawa’s environmental, economic, and cultural values through the Sustainable Nature Project.
In the presentation, Dr. Juan began by describing the natural features surrounding Kanazawa, including its mountains and abundant water resources. He highlighted the unique qualities of Kanazawa’s gardens, shaped by the Hokuriku region’s climate and a supportive social structure established by the Maeda clan in the 16th century. This system allowed a middle class of artisans to flourish, many of whom sought to recreate a miniature Kenrokuen in their homes, nourished by the local canal network.
Dr. Juan then detailed the network of canals and gardens that still exist in the city today. He addressed the challenges these gardens face due to depopulation and lack of maintenance. In the second part of the presentation, he emphasized how this connectivity between canals and gardens is essential for maintaining ecological functions and supporting biodiversity.
To prove this point, Dr. Juan shared findings (2021.9, 2021.11) from the wildlife survey conducted in thirty city gardens, using Mr. Nishi’s garden as an example.
This survey, which used different methods like in situ observation, sensor cameras, IC recorders, and DNA analysis across various seasons, identified valuable species such as the Ayu fish (Plecoglossus altivelis), Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Euphaedusa tau snail, and fireflies (Lampyridae).
All these results reinforce the idea of the strong connection between cultural preservation and natural conservation since many of these animals have established their habitat in the gardens because they found an environment protected from rapid urbanization, and today, they represent true natural reservoirs.
Through Dr. Juan’s presentation, participants gained a deeper appreciation for the aesthetic, cultural, and ecological values of the Kanazawa Gardens. The discussion emphasized establishing monitoring systems to track animal life in the coming years to ensure ecological continuity. After the presentation, the attendees freely walked around the garden, enjoying a sunny pre-autumn day.
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*About Nishi Family Garden: It was created in 1916, Taisho period, in a residential area of the old city, Nagamachi, and has retained its original appearance since then. The adjacent Onosho water canal irrigates the central garden pond, which is surrounded by impressive and large landscape stones, providing from various places of Japan; they are beautifully displayed together with arched bridges and water basins, balanced with high artificial hills located at the rare part of the garden, planted by native vegetation such as pine trees, azaleas, mapples etc, providing to the viewer a deep sense of space and secluded atmosphere reverberating the features of Kanazawa nature.
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Check about the event on Kanazawa City Official Youtube Channel
