About Kenjotei

Experience Hospitality Found Nowhere Else

Sophisticated interior design by the world-famous architect Kengo Kuma. Exquisitely prepared dishes that make the most of the subtleties of seasonal ingredients. Décor and tableware that seamlessly blend Kanazawa’s traditions of crafts and cuisine. Hospitality that offers guests a warm welcome. Kenjotei offers all these and more from its location in Kenrokuen Garden, in the heart of the castle town of Kanazawa. It makes for the perfect place to experience Kanazawa’s superb local food culture.

A Century of Beautiful Views of Kanazawa Castle

Kenjotei’s history began in 1913 when it first opened near the Katsurazaka Gate of Kenrokuen Garden, with a view of Kanazawa Castle’s Ishikawa-mon Gate beyond the Hyakken Moat. This area is also known as Edomachi-dori, named for the artisans who once lived here. They originally accompanied the young bride Tamahime, of the Tokugawa shogunate family, when she made the trip from her home in Edo (now Tokyo) to Kanazawa. Today, it is a lively destination for visitors to Kanazawa in its own right. Kenjotei has stood in this historic place for over a century: a crossroads between locals and visitors, and between past and present.

A Beautiful Garden Enhanced through Beautiful Architecture

November 2019 marked the rebirth of Kenjotei, through the work of the world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma. The renovated redesign uses the original building’s two-story wood frame, combined with traditional Japanese joinery techniques, to create an open space with a vaulted ceiling. The ceilings, walls, and floors are all dark wood, greeting guests with a calm, dignified atmosphere. After exploring the beauty of Kenrokuen Garden, relax and enjoy the architectural work of Kengo Kuma.

The Attentive Hospitality of Kanazawa

Kanazawa has long had a sophisticated food culture, built on ready access to fresh seasonal ingredients through the diversity of the surrounding natural environment. It has also been influenced by human endeavors, perhaps most significantly by the tea ceremony: Lord Maeda Toshiie, the first to rule the Kaga Domain from Kanazawa Castle, trained in the tea ceremony under Sen no Rikyu himself. The sense of attentive hospitality he learned gradually came to permeate the city, and lives on to this day. Savor the elegant air of Kenrokuen Garden, with lovely views of Kanazawa Castle’s Ishikawa-mon Gate, alongside superb local cuisine.