An attractive city close to the Sea of Japan coast,
Kanazawa is known for its delicious seafood,
distinguished traditions
and important history,
as well as its particularly harsh winters.
Until the abolition of the feudal system in 1871,
It served as the seat of the Maeda clan,
the richest of over 100 regional clans across Japan.
Only the Tokugawa who ruled the country as shogun were wealthier.
As a result, Kanazawa came to rival even the capital of Kyoto in terms
of culture and refinement.
At the end of the feudal period,
Kanazawa ranked as the 5th largest city in Japan
but with modernization the country’s
new rail network shifted the flow of people and goods elsewhere, leading to the city’s decline.
Thankfully, this all began to change in 2015 with the extension of the shinkansen
from Nagano to Kanazawa.
Now just 2.5 hours from Tokyo by high-speed train,
Kanazawa has achieved a new-found popularity and is once again a city on the up.
Having been spared destruction during WW2, Kanazawa contains a large number
of historical buildings and retains an elegant,
traditional atmosphere.
While small enough to be easily explored on foot,
the city boasts all of the quintessential sightseeing spots,
a castle
a samurai quarter
a geisha district,
not to mention one of Japan’s top three traditional landscape gardens.
To give you some idea of what to take in on your trip to this beautiful and fascinating city,
here are, in our opinion, the Top 5 things to do in Kanazawa.
Number 5: Kanazawa Castle
As the second richest feudal clan in Japan during the Edo Period the Maeda clan not
surprisingly maintained a beautiful base, Kanazawa Castle.
The castle’s main tower was lost in fire at an early stage,
and without the threat of war was never reconstructed.
The only original surviving structures today are the Ishikawa Gate facing Kenrokuen,
and two storehouses.
For a few decades after WW2, the former castle grounds even
served as a university campus which left some castle fans a little disappointed.
From the early 1990s, the castle became the property of the city and - thankfully - has
been gradually returning to its former glory.
Over the years, multiple gates,
the central storehouse,
and a pretty landscape garden, have all been reconstructed,
as well as turrets now housing interesting exhibits.
All this his makes Kanazawa castle a must-see destination for castle fans.
Number 4: Nagamachi Samurai District
Like any castle town during the Edo Period, Kanazawa was divided into districts inhabited
by people of different social castes. Of the four castes, the samurai, artisans
and merchants lived in dedicated districts in the city,
while the farmers lived in the countryside.
Having escaped the widespread destruction of World War Two, several of Kanazawa’s original
districts - the Nagamachi samurai district, three pleasure districts with their geisha houses.
and a temple district - have survived relatively well preserved to the present day
With its narrow lanes and earthen walls, exploring Nagamachi is like taking a stroll back in time.
Several buildings here are open to the public, including the beautifully
restored Nomura-ke - once the home of a prosperous samurai family, with a peaceful enclosed garden.
Also worth a visit are two houses that belonged to low ranking foot soldiers or ashigaru,
offering a contrast to the more lavish mansions of highlevel samurai.
Number 3: Omicho Market
The cold waters of the Sea of Japan are known for some of the best seafood in the country,
and the place to go - not only to shop for but also eat it - is Omicho Market,
Kanazawa’s biggest seafood market since the Edo Period.
Although the market is very exciting in the morning hours, it gets especially busy around
lunchtime, when crowds of locals and tourists come to try out some of the fresh seafood.
One popular local dish is Seafood donburi, or rice topped with a mix
of fresh seafood , often decorated with gold leaf - another Kanazawa speciality.
With its location not far away from Kanazawa Station,
Omicho Market is definitely the place to sample some of Kanazawa’s freshest delicacies.
Number 2: Higashi Chaya District
As cities of the Edo Period began to grow and prosper, pleasure quarters offering drinking
and entertainment became an important part of a new urban culture. Seen as subversive by the
ruling samurai government, however, they were subject to strict controls - that’s why all
three of Kanazawa’s surviving entertainment districts can all be found just outside the city center.
Of the three, the Higashi Chaya District is the most beautifully preserved.
At its center is a long street lined by beautiful traditional buildings known as chaya. Literally
meaning teahouse, this is an exclusive type of restaurant where guests are entertained by geisha
with music and dances. One of them, the Shima Teahouse, is open to the public as a museum,
and it is possible to visit the rooms where geisha would perform and see various
instruments used during the performances.
Other buildings in the district have been converted into attractive shops and cafes,
with some selling sweets covered in gold leaf.
Number 1: Kenrokuen
Considered by many to be the very best Japanese landscape garden, Kenrokuen feels like a themepark
for traditional gardens rather than a single garden,
featuring multiple ponds,
waterfalls,
streams,
various groves,
bridges,
teahouses,
hills and other attractions.
Located just next to Kanazawa Castle,
it was created by the Maeda family over a period of nearly two centuries,
and served as the family’s private garden before it was opened to the public in 1871.
The garden’s two main ponds are connected to a sophisticated water system dating back to 1632.
A canal was constructed that branched off the local river 11 kilometers upriver and then kept water at
a high enough altitude to feed the garden.
But that wasn’t all.
Some of the water was further sent to the neighboring castle through a pipe system that took advantage of the inverted siphon principle
thereby providing the hilltop castle with water for fire protection and other purposes.
The water is also used to power Japan’s first
Western-style fountain which was constructed in Kenrokuen in 1861.
The various flowering trees dotting the grounds of Kenrokuen make it a very attractive place
to visit in any season.
In spring, visitors can see beautiful cherry and plum blossoms,
in summer the trees turn a vivid green,
and in autumn the garden transforms into
an spectacular autumn color spot, with a wide array of red, orange and yellow colors.
While the park in winter may lack blossoms or foliage ,freshly fallen
snow creates its own unique seasonal beauty, while many of the trees are
protected from the heavy snow with interesting traditional techniques.
For all these reasons, we believe Kenrokuen is the number one spot to visit in Kanazawa.
And there you have it, the top 5 things to do in Kanazawa.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas for your future trip to Japan.
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