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瓢池の畔で翠滝の音を聴き、四季折々の景色とお抹茶や加賀料理をお楽しみください
Origin
It was in 1875, the year following the opening up of Kenrokuen to the public, that Miyoshi-an was first given its name. Miyoshi-an (literally, three good or fragrant huts in Japanese) was so named because it indeed had three cottages or huts: the “Honkan,” or main building intended to manage the adjacent tea arbor Yugao-tei owned by Maeda family, “Sui-tei” hovering, as it were, over Hisago-ike Pond, and finally the now non-existent “Besso,” or holiday cottage which once stood above Midori-taki Waterfall before the latter sheds itself into Hisagi-ike.
Ever since its founding, Miyoshi-an has been not only a venerable place visited by members of the Imperial Family, such as Emperor Taisho and Princess Norinomiya and eminent figures from every sphere of society, but also a long-established Japanese traditional restaurant beloved by and familiar to the locals as well as to many tourists to Kanazawa.
Landscape surrounding Miyoshi-an
The landscape surrounding Miyoshi-an gives an impression, as it were, of deep mountains and dark valleys—cold to the feel even during summer with thickly growing old trees, withdrawn and quiet—and there spreads “a confine of tasteful antiquity” and “world of deep seclusion,” where only the rumbles of water falling into Hisago-ike Pond is heard, i.e., two of the six features that make Kenrokuen desirable from garden landscaping standpoint.
Kenrokuen’s six attributes: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, water-courses and panoramas. Antiquity: old-fashioned but tasteful Seclusion: quiet and profound.
Midori-taki Waterfall
Midori-taki Waterfall dropping into Hisago-ike Pond is said to have been made in the manner of Nachi Falls in Wakayama.
As the famous recorded haiku reads:Rumbles of the waterfall! / a flying squirrel leaps between / the wisteria trellis Midori-taki Waterfall, while looking as if it were casting a beaded hanging screen, is actually a basin-less waterfall and, in order to produce the characteristic rumble, their rock arrangements had been redone six times from the reign of the 2nd Lord to that of the eleventh.
Hisago-ike Pond
The pond is said to have been given its name for the shape that resembles a bottle gourd, with a constriction in the middle. This area had ponds and marshes all along, even prior to the period of domain duties, and used to be called Renchi-tei because of lotus flowers planted in them. It was from this area, that the development of Kenrokuen began. When the cherry blossom season ends and maples become in full leaf draping its branches over the waterfalls, there indeed spreads the panorama of deep seclusion, with wisteria flowers and verdure of maple leaves exquisitely reflected in the pond water. Moreover, the 11th Lord Harunaga sent away for the maple trees that are now on the pond bank all the way from such places of scenic beauty as Tatsuta, Takao and Ogurayama and had them replanted to reproduce those of Kyoto’s Arashi-yama. For the brocade-like splendor woven by beautiful autumn leaves, Midori-taki is also known as “autumn leaves waterfall.”
Miyoshi-an’s holiday cottage
Miyoshi-an’s holiday cottage, on which Kyoshi Takahama composed a haiku, “Cooingly / leaves fall / like a cuckoo,” once stood just over Midori-taki. It is said to have formerly been built as a cottage to watch over the construction during the installation of Midori-taki about 250 years ago by the 11th Kaga Lord Harunaga. Members of imperial family including the Emperor Taisho and Princess Norinomiya and eminent figures from every, both domestic and international, sphere of society have visited the cottage. In 1924, the literary giant, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, upon invitation from his friend Saisei Murou, stayed at the cottage and was said to be deeply impressed. “Under Saisei sensei’s care, I have been staying at a tea arbor in Kenroku Park by the name of Miyoshi and what extreme luxury I have been in....tree branches and leaves grow and expand around the cottage and I can see Hisago-ike Pond between the tree trunks and a waterfall outside the arbor. Just imagine how tasteful and gracious it is” (quoted from his letter to a friend). as it had been, to everybody’s lament, it had to draw its curtain on the long, distinguished history due to deterioration in June 2008.
Yugao-tei
It is said to have originated as an arbor built by the 5th lord (Shoun-ko) to overlook the waterfall. The arbor would have been much to Kobori Enshu’s liking and for the openwork of yugao (moonflowers) on the wing wall of its waiting room, the arbor is today called Yugao-tei.
Menu
Tea (Matcha)
Matcha with a seasonal fresh sweet based on red bean paste
750 yen (tax included)
Iced Matcha with a fresh sweet or Mizu-manju (kuzu-jellied red bean paste)
750 yen (tax included)
Lunch
Yugao Bento
1,800 yen (tax included)
A welcome starter, a few assorted hors d’oeuvres, selection of sashimis, jibuni, rice, clear soup.
Hisago Bento
2,400yen (tax included)
A welcome starter, a few assorted hors d’oeuvres, selection of sashimis, grilled fish of the day, jibuni, rice, clear soup.
Bento in the Style of Pre-Tea-Ceremony Meal
3,600yen (tax included)
＊reservation required
A welcome starter, a few assorted hors d’oeuvres, selection of sashimi (fresh raw fish), grilled fish of the day, jibuni (chiken stewed in thick broth), vinegared crab meat or dressed fish and vegetable, others, rice, clear soup.
kaiseki-luncheon (light)
4,900yen (tax included)
＊reservation required
※ Lunch hours are 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (available until run out)
※ Parts of the menu may be changed depending on season.
Attention
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Currently, we are unable to take small-group reservations, given the difficulty of guaranteeing seat availability.
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Our lunches are available only until we run out, so we advise those in small groups to come as early in our lunch hours as possible (preferably by a little past 1 p.m.), so we can serve in the order of your arrival. We very much appreciate your understanding.
Information / Contact
Phone / FAX
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Lunch hours are 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (available until run out)
-
Currently, we are unable to take small-group reservations, given the difficulty of guaranteeing seat availability.
-
Our lunches are available only until we run out, so we advise those in small groups to come as early in our lunch hours as possible (preferably by a little past 1 p.m.), so we can serve in the order of your arrival. We very much appreciate your understanding.
Location/Address
Business Hours
1-11 Kenroku-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-0936, Japan
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(Hours vary depending on season)
Regular Closed Days
Wednesdays (may vary due to reservations, etc.)
The restaurant is located inside Kenrokuen, next to Yugao-tei immediately past Hasuike-mon Gate.