Kanazawa

Kanazawa, capital, Ishikawa ken (prefecture), central Honshu, Japan. It is situated on the Sai River, at the river’s mouth on the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

In the 16th century the city and the province of Kaga were given to the Maeda family, the wealthiest clan of daimyo (hereditary rulers) during the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867). Kanazawa remained under Maeda jurisdiction for approximately 300 years. The walls, gates, and a few buildings of the family’s castle remain, giving the city the atmosphere of traditional Japan. Kenroku Garden, formerly on the Maeda estate, is an excellent example of Japanese landscape gardening. Manufacturing developed from Kanazawa’s luxury industries of fine lacquer and Kutani ware porcelain. An ancient silk industry has been expanded to include cotton, woolen, rayon, and nylon textiles. Kanazawa University was founded in the city in 1949. Pop. (2010) 462,361; (2015) 465,699.