Kanazawa travel guide

For almost three centuries Kanazawa was ruled by the Maeda clan, one of the richest families in Japan, and they poured their wealth into gardens, crafts and the arts. The city was spared bombing in the Second World War, so its teahouse districts, samurai lanes and castle grounds have survived remarkably well.

Kanazawa is about 2.5 hours from Tokyo by shinkansen, and it makes a great stop between Tokyo and Kyoto. It feels like a smaller, calmer Kyoto, with some of the best seafood in the country thrown in.

Top things to do in Kanazawa

1. Walk through Kenroku-en. Kenroku-en is one of Japan's three great gardens, with ponds, stone lanterns, teahouses and twisting pines. From November, the pines are tied with ropes in cone shapes called yukitsuri to protect them from heavy snow.
2. Explore Kanazawa Castle Park. Across the road from the garden, with rebuilt white gates, turrets and long stone walls.
3. Step back in time in Higashi Chaya. Higashi Chaya is the largest of the city's old geisha districts, a street of wooden teahouses with latticed fronts. Some are open as museums or cafes.
4. Eat gold leaf. Kanazawa makes almost all of Japan's gold leaf. Try it on soft serve ice cream, or visit a workshop to see how it is beaten paper-thin.
5. Wander the Nagamachi samurai district. Earthen walls and narrow canals, with the Nomura family house and its small garden open to visitors.
6. See the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. A round glass building with playful installations, including Leandro Erlich's famous Swimming Pool. Book a timed ticket for the pool in busy seasons.
7. Have a seafood breakfast at Omicho Market. Kanazawa's kitchen for 300 years, with stalls selling crab, shrimp and kaisendon, bowls of rice topped with raw fish.
8. Visit Myoryu-ji, the ninja temple. A temple full of hidden stairs, trapdoors and secret rooms. Entry is by guided tour, so book ahead.

Areas to know

When to go

Spring brings cherry blossoms around the castle and garden in early April. Autumn is crisp and colourful, and from November the snow crab season begins. Winter is snowy and grey, but the garden under snow is beautiful and the seafood is at its best. Summer is hot and humid, with fewer crowds than Kyoto.

Getting there and around

From Tokyo, the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Kanazawa in about 2.5 hours. From Kyoto or Osaka, take the Thunderbird limited express to Tsuruga and change to the shinkansen, which takes about 1 hour 45 minutes from Kyoto and just over 2 hours from Osaka. Komatsu Airport has buses to Kanazawa Station in about 40 minutes.

The centre is compact and walkable. City buses, including the Kanazawa Loop Bus, connect the station with the main sights, and the city's red rental bicycles are a fun way to get around.

Where to stay

Stay near Kanazawa Station for trains and the Shirakawa-go buses, or in Korinbo for walking to the garden and castle. For atmosphere, book a ryokan or guesthouse near Higashi Chaya.

What to eat

• Kaisendon, seafood rice bowls, at Omicho Market
• Snow crab in winter, and nodoguro, a prized rosy seabream
• Jibuni, a thick stew of duck and vegetables
• Kanazawa oden, with local extras like crab and wheat gluten
• Kanazawa curry, thick and dark, served with a fork on a steel plate
• Gold leaf soft serve, for the photo as much as the taste

Day trips and next stops

The thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go are about 1 hour 15 minutes away by bus, and the quieter Gokayama villages are nearby. Continue by bus to Takayama in about 2 hours 15 minutes, a classic route through the mountains. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route starts from Toyama, about 20 minutes away by shinkansen.

Opening hours, prices and transport details change. Check the official sources before you travel: Visit Kanazawa.