What is the origin of the name "Kanazawa"? Kanagiro Reizawa

  • Ishikawa
  • Sightseeing
Did you know that there is still a place where the name "Kanazawa" originated in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture?
The place is a spring called "Kanjo Reizawa" located near Kanazawa Shrine next to Kenrokuen Garden.
Legend has it that a man named Imohori Togoro washed potatoes in this spring water and found a lot of gold sand, which led to the name "Kinrai no Sawa," which in turn led to the name "Kanazawa. A lot of gold sand after washing potatoes! It is said to be a dream come true, which is why it is now regarded as a power spot for good luck in money matters.
At first glance, it looks like a rest stop, and you might pass by it, but if you look into the center, you will see a spring and a pitch-black space that seems to suck you in.
Incidentally, the spring water here and the water in the hand-watering fountain at the Kanazawa Shrine next door are from the same source. It is used for the "Hyakumangoku Festival Hyakumangoku Tea Ceremony" and for making Japanese sweets, and is widely enjoyed by locals and visitors from outside the prefecture.
Such Kanazawa Shrine dates back to 1794, when Harunaga Maeda, the 11th lord of the domain, enshrined Sugawara no Michizane, the god of learning and ancestor of the Maeda family, on the banks of Kanagireizawa.
Main shrine
Incidentally, the red seal available at Kanazawa Shrine has gold leaf applied to the character for "gold. This red seal is unique to Kanazawa, which is said to account for 99% of the domestic market share of gold leaf production!
Kanazawa Shrine red seal Notice the character for "gold!
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