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There is a shopping mall in Kanazawa station and are various kinds of restaurants, especially Kanazawa’s local food.
If you want to enjoy Kanazawa’s local food, Kanazawa station is the best place to eat.
Shops normally have food samples or poster in front of the restaurants so it is easy to figure out what kind of restaurants they are.
Most shop open from 11:00am to 10:00pm. Read more

In Knazawa, there are vegetables called “Kaga yasai”, that literally means “vegetables of Kaga”. They are grown Kaga region – Kanazawa and southern part of Ishikawa prefecture. They are commonly eaten by Kanazawa local people and you can find them in Omicho market. Some local restaurants offer dishes with local vegetables. Read more

Kanazawa is famous for rain. Statistics say it rains 2,859mm in a year, meanwhile London, famous city for rain has only 800mm of rain in a year.
197 days of the year are raining and 57 days of the year are snowing. In total, more than two third days of the year are raining.
A proverb say, “Don’t forget umbrella, even if you forget lunchbox”. Read more

You will see something like decoration on trees if you come to Kanazawa in winter. That is called Yukitsuri.
It is an actually not decoration but protection from snow.
Snow in Kanazawa is very heavy and contains a large quantity of moisture. When it snows, the snow breaks branches. In order to protect tree’s branches from heavy snow, protection is made especially on evergreen trees such as pine trees. Read more

Omicho is a market that sells everything you have in the kitchen, their fishes are the finest since Kanazawa is facing sea of Japan.
In Omicho, there are lots of sushi and sashimi restaurants. Read more

Geisha districts have been restaurants districts since 1820 and still there are many restaurants in Higashi chayagai district and Kazuemachi. These are mostly expensive, so Jiyu-ken will be a only choise if you are a budget traveller. Read more

You don’t have to worry about meal around Kenroku-en because Kenroku-en is the Kanazawa’s biggest tourist attraction and many travellers come to Kenrokuen.
One thing you should be aware in advance is that the most restaurants around Kenroku-en close around 5pm when Kenroku-en closes.

Around Kenroku-en

There are 10-20 restaurants near Kenroku-en. They are located in the one-way street between Kenroku-en and Kanazawa castle.

The restaurants have food samples made of plastic in front of them like the picture above. As you will see, all restaurants offer almost same menu. And the prices are almost the same.
The restaurants have souvenir shops, however they don’t give you a pressure to buy anything. They sell Kanazawa’s special souvenir though.
Price is mainly around 600-1,500 yen.

Udon noodle

Katsudon

 All the restaurants around Kenroku-en are Japanese style – noodles, rice with meat or eggs but not sushi. Some restaurants have English menus, but you may not be able to understand what the foods are without tasting them.

In Kenroku-en

In Kenroku-en, there are several tea shops, they are not cheap as the restaurants out of Kenrokuen. In the garden, you can enjoy the foods with seeing a beautiful garden.

Miyoshian

Miyoshian is a restaurant in Kenrokuen garden. The restaurant opened in 1875, one year after Kenrokuen was open to Kanazawa’s citizen.
You will feel like as if you are in nature because the restaurant is floating on a pond and facing to a beautiful waterfall.

Kanazawa is a traditional city and famous for Kimono – Japanese traditional dresses. Nowadays, Japanese people wear Kimono on only special occasions – New year, wedding, or tea ceremony. However, some places still offer Kimono wearing experiences. Of course, you can take a picture. In some places, you can rent it and stroll around Kanazawa with Kimno.

Kaga-yuzen Dentousangyou-kan

They have a Kimono museum, so you can learn how to make kimono.
Also, you can experience kimono drawing.

How to get there

They are located nrea Kenrokuen – a couple of minutes from the garden.
By Kanazawa loop bus, the closest bus stop is Kenrokuen garden (RL8, LL9).
Ther is a big junction nearby the bus stop. Go to the right and go tp the left at the first traffic light. Kaga-yuzen Dentousangyou-kan is on the right side.
By Kenrokuen shuttle bus, get off at Kenrokuen garden (S7), walk back and cross th first traffic light. Kaga-yuzen Dentousangyou-kan is on the right side.

Address

〒920-0932　金沢市小将町8-8
8-8 Kosho-machi, Kanazawa zip 920-0932

Hours and Fees

Kureha

Kuraha is one of the very old kimono shop.
They also have Japanese bags, shoes and some goods to walk around.
(Booking in advance ins necessary)

How to get there

They are located in Higashiyama geisha district.
By bus, take a Kanazawa loop bus (clockwise) from east terminal of Kanazawa station and get off at Hashiba-cho (RL5).
Walk back and turn to the right at the second corner.
From counterclockwise bus stop (LL11), walk into the street you can find across the street on the right side.
Walking 1 minute and then you will come into Higashi chaya geisha district. Hakuza is on the right side.

Address

〒920-0831　金沢市東山1-24-3
1-24-3 Higashiyama, Kanazawa zip 920-0831

Hours and Fees

Nagamachi Yuzenkan

They have huge renge of kimono – both casual and formal. Also they have Kimono for men.They have some services – just walking around the city, taking a picture in samurai district and making a DVD or one-day-tour with Kimono.
And they speak English.Rent kimono a day is aveilable in Nagamachi Yuzenkan.
They also have Kimono exhibition room and even they offer painting experience.

How to get there

Nagamachi Yuzen-kan is close to Nagamachi samurai district.
By bus from Kanazawa station, it takes 10 minutes. The closest bus stop rom Nagamachi Yuzenkan is Korinbo (RL4, LL3). From the bus stop, go to the west to Nomura samurai house. From Nomura samurai house, go to the north and turn to the left at the first corner. Walking to east for 1 minute to Nagamachi Yuzankan.

Address

〒920-0865　金沢市長町2-6-16
2-6-16 Nagamachi, Kanazawa zip 920-0865

Hours and Fees

Kokoyui Kimono rental shop

They have huge renge of kimono – both casual and formal. Also they have Kimono for men.They have some services – just walking around the city, taking a picture in samurai district and making a DVD or one-day-tour with Kimono.
And they speak English.

How to get there

Nagamachi Yuzen-kan is close to Nagamachi samurai district.
By bus from Kanazawa station, it takes 10 minutes. The closest bus stop rom Nagamachi Yuzenkan is Korinbo (RL4, LL3). From the bus stop, go to the west to Nomura samurai house. From Nomura samurai house, go to the north and turn to the left at the first corner. Walking to east for 1 minute to Nagamachi Yuzankan.

Address

〒920-0862　金沢市芳斉2-5-18
2-5-118 Housai, Kanazawa zip 920-0862

Hours and Fees

Photo by Stefan Schlautmann

Geisha house shima was built in 1820 when geisha other houses were moved to Higashi chaya-gai under the control of lord Maeda who governed Kanazawa during that time.
Shima was the one of the oldest building and they open to the public. Read more

If you have two or three days, it is worth going to Takayama and Shirakawa-go.
Shirakawa-go is a small village that have unique houses and the village is listed on World Heritage Site.
Takayama is a town that has lots of offer – old town houses, lots of museums and sake brewery. Read more

If you have only half a day in Kanazawa, you need to concentrate your trip and cut some attractions where you can see other places. You can see similar or better things out of Kanazawa. Geisha district – you can see it in Kyoto. Castle – you can see it in many places in Japan.
Actually, Kanazawa’s geisha district is smaller then Kyoto’s Gion geisha district. Kanazawa castle was rebuilt in 2000 and new.

• Kanazawa castle
• Kenroku-en
• Nagamachi samurai district

Read more

On 14th March 2015, Shinkansen, a high speed train connects Tokyo and Kanazawa and access will be dramatically changed.
It takes 4 hours now but it will take only 2.5 hours. Kanazawa will be one of the accessible and nice tourist destination. Read more

Kanazawa castle was owned Maeda family who governed Kanazawa during feudal samurai period. The castle was burnt several times, so the oldest parts, Ishikawa-mon gate, were built in 1788 and rest of them are new.
After samurai period was finished in the end of 19th century, the government began to use the castle as a military basement. The basement had been in the castle until the end of the world war the second. After the war, Kanazawa university was built in the castle. The castle had been the canvas until the Kanazawa university moved to the suburb of Kanazawa in 1995. After the university moved, Ishikawa prefectural government began to restore the castle.
Nowadays, the castle is open to the public and the local government is still restoring the castle. Read more

Kanazawa, which literally means “stream of gold”, is a city of gold leaf. 99% gold leaf and 100% silver leaf used in Japan is made in Kanazawa.
Gold leaf is mainly sticked on Japanese Buddhist altar and craft arts. Also one of the remarkable temple, Kinkakuji in Kyoto with having a golden pavilion – whose wall are made of gold leaf in Kanazawa.
Sakuda is a gold leaf souvenir shop as well as a factory that produce gold leaf. They show how to make 1/10, 000mm gold leaf. Read more

There are regular lots of buses in Kanazawa and understanding all of them are hard, however the bus lines going to tourists attractions are limited so easy to understand. The buses are operated by Hokutestu-bus and run frequently.

There are two big bus terminals in east and west exit in Kanazawa station. All the buses go to tourist attractions depart from east terminal and the bus stops are within ten stops from Kanazawa station. Read more

Nishi chaya-gai is a geisha district located south west of downtown.
Nishi geisha district is small, however geisha girls are still working. Read more

Kanazawa has three geisha districts and Kazuemachi is the least touristic and smallest one. Least touristic doesn’t mean “not worth”. Sometimes you can find even better things in less-know place.
Since the district is located between Omicho or Kanazawa castle and Higashi-chaya-gai, access is good. Read more

Higashi chaya gai is a former geisha district.
In modern word, this district was a restaurants area. Chaya is a tea house or restaurant and gai is a district. Higashi means east. Read more

Kanazawa is not too big city and easy to look around.
All tourist attraction is within 3km from Kanazawa station.
There is no train in the city but bus covers all touristic places. Read more

Even if you have only one day in Kanazawa, you still can visit most touristic places.

• Omicho market
• Kazuemachi geisha district
• Higashi chayagai geisha district
• Sakuda gold leaf shop
• Kenrokuen
• 21st century contemporary art museum
• Nagamachi samurai district and Nomura samurai house
• Kanazawa station

Read more

Omicho is a Kanazawa’s local market. Kanazawa’s people call them “Kanazawa’s kitchen”. As the words saying, they sell everything you can find in your kitchen. Not only fish but also vegetables and meats are sold in Omicho market.

Since they are not morning market, you can visit there anytime but you had better to visit there by 4pm since the most shops close around 5pm. Conversely, you can buy foods at discount price after 4pm. In weekend more than half shop closed, their target are mainly tourists. Read more

Kanazawa literally means stream of gold. In old days in Kanazawa, there was a man called “Imohori Tougoro”. He found golf fust when he cleaned sweet potato. This is why we call the city “Kanazawa”. We don’t have gold mines, still 99% of gold leaf used in Japan is made in Kanazawa. Kinkakuji in Kyoto, known as golden pavilion, its wall’s gold is from Kanazawa.

In Kanazawa, you can buy lots of golden crafts. Not only buying, you can even make your own crafts – e.g. chopsticks or jewelry box with gold leaf.
When it comes to gold, you will think something expensive. However, handmade gold leaf is an affordable price. You never be able to experience making your crafts with gold leaf in any other place on the planet out of Kanazawa.

There are several places offering handmade experience. Read more

Kenrokuen is one of the most famous garden in Japan. Actually, it is said that Kenroku-en is one of the three great garden in Japan. The rest of two are Kouraku-en in Ibaraki and Kairaku-en in Okayama.
So, if you come to Kanazawa, Kenroku-en is a “must-see place”. Read more

Kanazawa shinise kinenkan is a museum that displays merchant’s cultural stuff used around 100 years ago. The building was built in 1878 and was a pharmacy.
Shinise means a family of pedigree doing same business for long years and kinenkan means museum.
The entrance fee is only 100yen. This is very in expensive as a Japanese museum – normally you have to pay 500yen or more. Still the exhibition is really nice and worth visiting. Read more

Nomura samurai house is the only samurai house open to the public in Nagamachi district.
During Edo era (federal samurai period), Nomura family was a middle-classed samurai and worked as a magistrate under Maeda clan, who governed Kanazawa.

I have been there many many times with tourists as a guide. Almost all the tourists like there and some says they even want one. I definitely recommend.
Michelin, one of the famous guidebook followed me that they ranked two star in this samurai house.
An American gardening magazine ranked Nomura’s garden was top 3 ranked Japanese garden in Japan. Read more

Kanazawa was governed by Maeda family during federal samurai period. The family controlled Kanazawa since 1583 when the first lord Toshiie Maeda came to Kanazawa. During samurai period, Maeda family had a strong power and Kanazawa was a forth biggest city after Tokyo (formerly called Edo), Osaka Kyoto and Nagoya. So lots of samurai are living in Kanazawa.
Naga-machi is the area where mid-classed samurai lived, meanwhile two chief retainers live in the same area though. Read more

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is a contemporary art museum located next to Kenroku-en and Kanazawa castle. Their exhibitions are not only from Kanazawa but also all over Japan and all over the world.
If you like contemporary art, you should not miss it, but you should be aware that you might want to stay whole a day in the museum. Planning your itinerary in advance is recommended.
Their exhibition is not free, however they have admission free zone. Read more