Kanazawa in November 2026: Kenrokuen's Yukitsuri Ropes Go Up Nov 1, Plus 7 Free Night Light-Ups

Every November, gardeners in Kanazawa start tying the pine trees of Kenrokuen Garden with straw ropes, a winter tradition called yukitsuri ("snow hanging") that protects branches from the region's heavy, wet snow. In 2026 the work begins on Sunday, November 1, and the same month brings seven free evening light-ups of Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle Park. Here are the official dates and times, and how to fit both into a November trip.

Dates, times and fees below are from Ishikawa Prefecture's Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden Management Office, the Kenrokuen Tourism Association, and the official Kanazawa and Ishikawa tourism sites, checked on October 31, 2026. Events can be changed or cancelled because of weather.

The short version

• Yukitsuri starts: Nov 1, 2026, 9:00 a.m. JST, beginning with Kenrokuen's best-known tree, the Karasaki pine. If it rains, work starts on lower trees and the Karasaki pine moves to Nov 2 at 8:00 a.m. (further delays possible in rain).
• Work continues: until about mid-December across the garden.
• How long you can see it: the ropes stay up until about mid-March.
• Free night light-ups (November): Nov 7, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., last entry 8:45 p.m. Kenrokuen is free to enter during the light-up.
• Daytime entry: adults (18+) ¥320, ages 6–17 ¥100, 65+ free with ID showing age. Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.) from Oct 16 to the end of February.

What yukitsuri is, and what to look for

Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, where snow is heavy and wet. Yukitsuri supports branches with ropes so they do not break under that weight. The roped trees, especially the cone shapes over the big pines, have become a symbol of winter in the Hokuriku region.

According to the prefectural management office's announcement (Oct 23, 2026), this season's work at Kenrokuen covers:

• 50 "ringo-tsuri" (apple-style) cones, the tall cone shapes, including the Karasaki pine and the Sugomori pine.
• 59 "miki-tsuri" (trunk-style) supports, including the Neagari pine and the Banshu pine.
• About 700 other spots, such as azaleas.
• About 4,000 kg of straw rope, in 6 mm and 8 mm thicknesses, plus wooden and bamboo core poles.
• About 500 person-days of work from Nov 1, by seven garden staff and six landscaping contractors.

The Karasaki pine, which the office describes as having the finest branch form in the garden, gets five core poles and about 800 ropes. It is the first tree roped on opening day, so the morning of Nov 1 is the time to see the work itself.

If you arrive later in November, the cones are already up on many trees, and you may still see gardeners working on others until mid-December.

The November light-ups: "Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Four Seasons — Autumn"

The autumn light-up covers three venues: Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Park and Gyokusen'inmaru Garden. Ishikawa's official tourism site says the Kenrokuen lighting includes the Kotoji stone lantern, the Karasaki pine and the fountain, so you can see the yukitsuri ropes and the late-autumn maples lit together.

Things to know:

• The garden closes for about an hour before each light-up to prepare. In November, regular hours end at 5:00 p.m., and the free evening entry starts at 6:00 p.m.
• Tripods: visitors are asked not to use tripods in the gardens or on bridges, to ease crowding.
• Some areas may be closed off in the dark. Follow the signs on the night.

Evening concerts at Kenrokuen

Short concerts (about 15 minutes each) are played from the Uchihashi-tei teahouse and can be heard around Kasumigaike Pond:

How to plan a November visit

• For the roping work itself: be at Kenrokuen on the morning of Nov 1. Remember the rain plan (Karasaki pine on Nov 2 at 8:00 a.m.).
• For ropes plus autumn colour by night: pick one of the seven light-up evenings. Saturdays also have the concerts.
• For a daytime visit: go during regular hours and pay the daytime admission. Then come back for a free evening if your dates line up.
• For snow on the ropes: the ropes stay up until about mid-March, but snow is never guaranteed on any given day.
• Getting there: the official Kanazawa tourism site lists the "Kenrokuen-shita / Kanazawa-jo" bus stop, about a 3-minute walk away, served by the Kanazawa loop bus and Hokutetsu and JR West buses. The garden has no parking.

Planning a winter trip to Japan from Canada? Join DOJI for free.

Sources

• Ishikawa Prefecture — "Kenrokuen yukitsuri" announcement, Oct 23, 2026 (PDF, Japanese): start Nov 1, 9:00 a.m. with the Karasaki pine, rain plan Nov 2, numbers of ropes and trees, finish around mid-December. Checked 2026-10-31.
• VISIT KANAZAWA — Yukitsuri Installation at Kenrokuen Garden (official): work from Nov 1 to mid-December, opening hours, admission. Checked 2026-10-31.
• Kanazawa City Tourism Association — Kenrokuen yukitsuri (Japanese): ropes visible until mid-March, last-entry times, admission, bus access. Checked 2026-10-31.
• Kenrokuen Tourism Association — Light-up archive (Japanese): autumn light-up dates, November hours, free entry. Checked 2026-10-31.
• Kenrokuen Tourism Association — Autumn light-up and concerts (Japanese): concert dates, times and performers. Checked 2026-10-31.
• Hot Ishikawa (Ishikawa official tourism site) — Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Four Seasons, Autumn (Japanese): lit areas, last entry 8:45 p.m., one-hour closure before the light-up, tripod request. Checked 2026-10-31.

Cover photo: yukitsuri rope cones over pine trees, reflected in a garden pond. Unsplash tags it as Kenrokuen Garden but gives no date. Photo by Juan Lagunas via Unsplash.