Buffalo-Kanazawa Sister City Mural

The mural is on the Life Storage building at 290 Ellicott St., next to the Central Library.

Kanazawa is represented on the left, with the trees of Kenroku-en Garden and Kanazawa Castle in the background.

The yukitsuri ropes are iconic of the garden, and installed every winter to support the branches of the trees under the weight of the snow.

The woman’s kimono is an actual design by the Kanazawa area kimono designer, Toku YĆ«sui II.

In the center is the Kotoji Lantern, a well-known feature of Kanazawa’s Kenroku-en Garden, and shared by Buffalo’s Japanese Garden, having been gifted to us by Kanazawa.

Kanazawa is known for its gold leaf, represented in the gold-colored rock under the lantern and other gold accents.

The water in between may represent the water features of our respective gardens, or perhaps the ocean between us?

Buffalo is represented on the right, with the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park and the History Museum in the background.

The cherry blossoms of the garden are a symbol of Japan and background our annual Cherry Blossom Festival celebrating Japanese culture.

Of course the bison are symbolic of Buffalo, despite not actually roaming the garden.

About the Artist

Kristin Brandt is a local Buffalo artist with a longstanding interest in Japan and Japanese culture. Her paintings, poetry, and other art have been featured at numerous local galleries and events.