Kanazawa

Kanazawa, the “Little Kyoto” of Hokuriku, boasts Kenroku-en, the Higashi Chaya district and Omicho Market; paired with the World Heritage thatched-roof village of Shirakawa-go in the snow, it is the most popular combination on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, in the center of the Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan coast. In the Edo period it was the castle town of the Maeda clan of the million-koku Kaga Domain, and because it escaped wartime destruction it has preserved its samurai residences, geisha districts and gardens intact, earning the nickname “Little Kyoto of Hokuriku.” It produces 99% of Japan's gold leaf, and crafts such as Kutani ware, Kaga Yuzen dyeing and Wajima lacquerware, as well as Kaga cuisine, are likewise famous. The sights in the city are concentrated within a radius of about 2 km centered on Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenroku-en: to the east are Higashi Chaya (geisha) district and Kazuemachi Chaya district along the Asano River; to the west are Omicho Market and the Musashi area; to the south are the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the Katamachi entertainment district and Nishi Chaya district on the Sai River; and to the northwest is the Nagamachi samurai district. They can be covered on foot plus the castle-town loop bus (¥200 per ride, one-day pass ¥800). Shirakawa-go lies in the Sho River valley in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, about 75 km from Kanazawa; the Nohi/Hokutetsu express bus from Kanazawa Station takes about 1 hour 15 minutes (reservation required). The Ogimachi gassho-zukuri settlement has more than 100 thatched-roof gassho-style farmhouses, and in 1995 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site together with Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture (the Ainokura and Suganuma settlements, about 30–40 minutes by car from Shirakawa-go). You can make a day trip from Kanazawa or stay a night in a gassho-style minshuku. Best seasons: January–February has the deepest snow in Shirakawa-go, and the winter light-up is held on Sundays from mid-January to mid-February (only about 6 times, with entry by website lottery or by booking a bus tour or minshuku). In Kanazawa, yukitsuri (rope supports to protect branches from snow) are hung in Kenroku-en from early November, and the garden is stunning after snowfall. In early April, the cherry blossoms bloom at Kenroku-en and Kanazawa Castle (about 400 trees, with free night illumination admission); in May–June, fresh greenery, with the Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival in early June; in mid-to-late November, autumn foliage. Summers are hot, humid and rainy, and winters on the Sea of Japan side are often cloudy with rain and snow, so you will often need rain gear. Getting there: by Hokuriku Shinkansen, it is about 2.5 hours from Tokyo, and following the 2024 extension the line continues to Fukui and Tsuruga. From Osaka, take the Thunderbird limited express in about 2 hours 40 minutes (changing at Tsuruga). Komatsu Airport is about 40 minutes by bus from the city, with flights from Shanghai. Suggested length of stay: 2 days in Kanazawa + 1 day at Shirakawa-go, for a total of 3 days; it can be combined with Takayama, Toyama or Noto. Tips: round-trip bus tickets to Shirakawa-go sell out weeks ahead in peak seasons (winter weekends, Golden Week and the autumn foliage season). Roads are icy in winter, so wear non-slip shoes. Most Kanazawa attractions close around 5 p.m., and the 21st Century Museum is closed on Mondays. At Omicho Market, lunchtime queues form for seafood rice bowls, and it is quieter before 10 a.m.

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