Kanazawa
・Three teahouse districts with old townscapes
・Omicho Market, where you can enjoy gourmet food
【City description】
Kanazawa City, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, has many tourist spots remaining from the Edo period. You can also experience new things such as the famous Japanese garden Kenroku-en, Kanazawa Castle opposite it, Chaya District where geisha still perform, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa, where you can experience contemporary art. Here we will introduce a model itinerary that will cover all of these places using only the sightseeing shuttle bus.
【Overall rating】
★★★★★
【Time required】
9 h
【Budget】
3590 yen
【Fatigue】
★★★★☆
- Itinerary Map
- ①Kanazawa Station
- About Kanazawa Loop Bus
- ②Higashi Chaya District (Eastern Teahouse District)
- ③Ochaya Art Museum
- ④Kazuemachi Chaya District
- ⑤Kenroku-en
- ⑥Kanazawa Castle
- ⑦21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
- ⑧Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)
- ⑨Nishi Chaya District
- ⑩Nagamachi District
- ⑪Nomura-ke Samurai Heritage Residence
- ⑫Omicho Market
- More Travel Information in Japan
Itinerary Map
Navigation
【Start】①Kanazawa Station
★Route time required：15 min
Take the circular bus (clockwise) from bus stop 7 at the Kanazawa Station East Exit Bus Terminal and get off at Hashibacho (RL4). After getting off the bus, turn back and go right at the second traffic light, then you will come to a paved road. Continue straight and you will enter Chaya District.
★Route time required：a few minutes
Enter the building with the Shima sign on the left hand side of the main street.
★Route time required：10 min
Return to the bus stop, cross the bridge and follow the road along the river on your left.
★Route time required：15 min
Get on the bus from the previous bus stop and get off at Kenrokuen-shita/Kanazawa Castle (RL6). When you reach the top of the hill behind the bus stop, you will see the entrance to Kenrokuen on your left.
★Route time required：5 min
Once you leave Kenrokuen and cross the bridge, you will find the castle gate.
★Route time required：10 min
Return to the bus stop and continue on the clockwise route to the next stop, Hirosaka 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (RL7), and head towards the building opposite. Alternatively, you can leave Kanazawa Castle, cross the bridge, turn right and follow the road.
★Route time required：15 min
Get on the clockwise bus again and get off at Hirokoji (RL10). Continue in the direction the bus is heading and turn left at the first traffic light.Continue straight for a while and follow the narrow road next to the parking lot on your right until you see the temple gate.
★Route time required：10 min
After leaving Myoryuji Temple, turn left and follow the road until you reach a traffic light. Cross the crosswalk and continue straight into the residential area. Turn right at the two crossroads and you will reach the last teahouse district.
★Route time required：10 min
Take the bus from the bus stop mentioned earlier and get off at Korinbo (RL12), which is in the downtown area. Turn right at the intersection as you go back down the road, and when you reach the end of the hill and see a square in front of you, turn right again. Take the first road on your left and follow it until you see the townscape of the Edo period.
★Route time required：a few minutes
Once you cross the bridge, turn right and cross the next bridge and you will see the mansion straight ahead.
★Route time required：20 min
Return to the same bus stop and hop on the bus again and get off at Musashi-gatsuji Omicho Market (RL14), where the market will be across the street.
★Route time required：10 min
Take the bus from the same bus stop back to Kanazawa Station.
Kanazawa Station
Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
【Start】
①Kanazawa Station
This is the gateway to Kanazawa. In front of the station there is a gate called Tsuzumi-mon, whose pillars are shaped like drums.
About Kanazawa Loop Bus
In Kanazawa, there is a sightseeing bus called the Castle Town Kanazawa Loop Bus. There are clockwise and counterclockwise buses starting from the Kanazawa Station bus terminal, but this model route will only use the clockwise one (counterclockwise only on weekends and holidays). It runs approximately every 15 minutes from 8:35 to 18:05. The fare is 210 yen per ride, but the one-day pass is 800 yen, so it is recommended. In addition, discounts are applied by presenting the pass at certain tourist facilities. It can be purchased at the ticket booth near bus stop 7 at the Kanazawa Station East Exit Bus Terminal.
For more information about the circular bus, please click here.
Official Site
http://www.hokutetsu.co.jp/en
★Route time required：15 min
Take the circular bus (clockwise) from bus stop 7 at the Kanazawa Station East Exit Bus Terminal and get off at Hashibacho (RL4). After getting off the bus, turn back and go right at the second traffic light, then you will come to a paved road. Continue straight and you will enter Chaya District.
②Higashi Chaya District (Eastern Teahouse District)
Time required : 40 min
This is the most famous of the three Chaya districts in Kanazawa. It was named after its location east of Kanazawa Castle. Two-thirds of the approximately 140 buildings in this district are traditional, and it is designated as an important preservation district for traditional buildings, second only to Gion.
It is characterized by a long, narrow latticework that resembles a wooden insect cage, called Kimusuko, which makes it difficult to see from the outside but allows a good view from inside. Another characteristic is that some of the buildings have a red exterior called Rengara, which uses paint from the Bengal region of India.
It was recognized as a prestigious Chaya district by the Kaga domain in 1820, and at the time, second floors were prohibited because it was not allowed to look down on the feudal lord, but it was allowed as an exception. Chaya is not a cafe, but a place where you can enjoy geisha dances and games, and there are still five of them. It became a tourist destination in 2001, and now there are a variety of shops selling Japanese sweets, miscellaneous goods, cafes, traditional crafts, and more.
★Route time required：a few minutes
Enter the building with the Shima sign on the left hand side of the main street.
③Ochaya Art Museum
Time required : 30 min
Admission fee：500 yen
（50 yen discount with one-day bus pass）
Opening hour：9h30 am – 5h30 pm
（until 5 pm from December to February）
Close：No
This is a teahouse where you can tour Higashi Chaya District. It has been preserved to this day as it was built in 1820, and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is a two-story building, with the kitchen, the landlady’s room, a museum, a garden, and a tea room on the first floor. The second floor is a room for entertaining geisha, and has a gorgeous atmosphere with walls made of red rengara.
★Route time required：10 min
Return to the bus stop, cross the bridge and follow the road along the river on your left.
④Kazuemachi Chaya District
Time required : 20 min
This second teahouse district was built in the Meiji period when Higashi Chaya District had become full. The name of this district comes from the residence of Tomita Kazue who lived here in the Edo period. Higashi Chaya District was surrounded by a moat, but this district was not, so the district was named after him. It is characterized by three-story buildings, and the road along the river is called Kyoka no Michi because the birthplace of Izumi Kyoka, a literary figure active from the Meiji to Showa periods, was in the neighboring town. Most of the shops are open at night, so the atmosphere is calm during the day.
Akarizaka, named by the writer Itsuki Hiroyuki in 2008, is beautiful when viewed from an uphill slope, while Kuragarizaka, which was used to sneak into this teahouse district without being seen by others, is beautiful when viewed from a downhill slope.
★Route time required：15 min
Get on the bus from the previous bus stop and get off at Kenrokuen-shita/Kanazawa Castle (RL6). When you reach the top of the hill behind the bus stop, you will see the entrance to Kenrokuen on your left.
⑤Kenroku-en
Time required : 1 h
Admission fee：320 yen
Opening hour：7 am – 6 pm
（8 am – 5 pm from 10/16 to 2/28）
Close：No
It is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, alongside Korakuen in Okayama and Kairakuen in Mito, and is one of Kanazawa’s top tourist spots. Approximately 8,200 trees of 160 varieties are planted in an area of about 11.4 hectares. It originally began in 1676 when Maeda Tsunanori, the fifth lord of the Kaga domain, built a villa and garden next to Kanazawa Castle, and was called the Lotus Pond Garden at the time. Although it was almost completely burned down in a fire in 1759, development was completed in 1776, and in 1822 Matsudaira Sadanobu, the lord of Shirakawa domain in Oshu, named it Kenrokuen. In 1860, it was restored to its current form, and opened to the public in 1874. It was designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty in 1985, and received three stars in the Michelin tourist guide in 2009, so it has a history worthy of being one of the three most famous gardens.
Kenrokuen was named after the fact that it is comparable to a lake garden that appears in the Song Dynasty book “Rakuyo Meien-ki” and combines six landscapes (vast, secluded, human-powered, ancient, springs, and views).
You can see the natural beauty of each season, and the most famous of these is the snow hangings that protect the branches from breaking in the winter snow. There is a lot to see in the garden, but here we will introduce the main ones.
Kotoji Lantern:
This two-legged lantern, with only one leg used at Tsuyu-ga-ike Pond, is one of the most famous in Kenrokuen. It is 2.7m tall and was named after the bridge that supports the strings of a koto.
Kasumiga-ike Pond:
This is the largest pond in the garden, measuring 5,800m2, and has a turtle-shaped island called Horaijima.
Meiji Memorial Sign:
This is a statue of Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, created in 1880, and is the oldest outdoor bronze statue in Japan. It is 5.5m tall and was created to mourn the soldiers of his hometown who died in the Seinan War.
Ganko-bashi Bridge:
This bridge is made of 11 stones and was named after the way they resemble wild geese flying. It is also called the Tortoise Shell Bridge because each stone looks like a turtle’s shell. It is now prohibited to pass through, but it was once said that if you crossed here you would live a long life.
Kenrokuen’s Three Famous Stones:
There are three stones in the shape of animals in Kenrokuen. Tiger Stone, Dragon Stone, and Lion Rock are scattered around, so try to find them.
Gourd Pond:
This pond, shaped like a gourd, is home to the 6.6m-high Midori Waterfall and the Sea Stone Tower that Kato Kiyomasa brought back from his expedition to Korea.
Yugaotei:
The oldest teahouse in the garden, built in 1774, is located next to Gourd Pond.
Kenrokuen Kikuzakura:
This cherry blossom blooms for about two weeks from late April to mid-May, and is said to be the original cherry blossom of Kenrokuen. It is a rare variety with more than 300 petals on one flower, and the current one is the second generation.
★Route time required：5 min
Once you leave Kenrokuen and cross the bridge, you will find the castle gate.
⑥Kanazawa Castle
Time required : 0 min
Admission fee：320 yen
Opening hour：7 am – 6 pm
（8 am – 5 pm from 10/16 to 2/28）
Close：No
This is an Edo period castle located opposite Kenrokuen Garden. Originally, the Honganji Temple, which won the Kaga Ikko Ikki uprising, built Kanazawa Mido here in 1540. In 1580, Sakuma Morimasa began construction of the castle. Later, when Maeda Toshiie, the first lord of the Kaga domain, arrived, construction of the castle got serious and was completed. However, the castle tower burned down after being struck by lightning in 1602, and it has remained standing to this day without being rebuilt, out of consideration for the Tokugawa Shogunate. After that, development progressed mainly in the Ninomaru area, and from the Meiji era onwards, it was used as the army headquarters until the end of World War II, and after the war, it had an unusual history of being used as the campus of Kanazawa University until 1995. Currently, the castle is a park and is popular as a famous cherry blossom viewing spot.
The roofs are made of lead tiles, which are wooden tiles covered with lead plates, giving them a white appearance, and the walls also feature mosaic patterns that resemble sea cucumbers, hence the name Namako wall. Most of the stone walls are made from stones taken from nearby Mt. Tomuro, but they are stacked in a variety of ways, leading to the site being called a stone wall museum.
From here, we will introduce the main highlights.
Ishikawamon Gate (Important Cultural Property):
This is the first gate you pass through after crossing the bridge from Kenrokuen Garden, and it uses the lead tiles and namako walls mentioned earlier. It is actually the back gate, and what you see on the left is not the castle but a turret.
Hijimi-yagura:
As its name suggests, it is a diamond-shaped turret and is the tallest building in Ninomaru. It is a symbolic building of Kanazawa Castle, and the rhombus shape is a particular feature, including the pillars.
Gojukken Nagaya:
This was a warehouse for weapons and fixtures, and was built without nails or bolts, and you can see the timber frame structure on the second floor. It also served as a castle wall to protect Ninomaru.
Hashizumemon Tsuzuki-yagura:
This is where you can watch over Hashizumemon, the main gate of Ninomaru.
Gyokusen’inmaru Garden:
The garden is named after the mansion of Gyokusen’in, the wife of the second feudal lord, Maeda Toshinaga. Construction began in 1634 by the third feudal lord, Toshitsune Maeda, and was continued by successive feudal lords. You can have tea at Gyokusen-an in the garden.
★Route time required：10 min
Return to the bus stop and continue on the clockwise route to the next stop, Hirosaka 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (RL7), and head towards the building opposite. lternatively, you can leave Kanazawa Castle, cross the bridge, turn right and follow the road.
⑦21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Time required : 1 h
Admission fee：By special exhibition
(Group discounts are available for one-day bus passes)
Opening hour：10 am – 6 pm
Close：Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), New Year’s holiday
This is a museum that exhibits contemporary art. It was built in 2004 on the site of a former school attached to Kanazawa University. It was built with the aim of creating new culture and bringing new vitality to the town.
It is a circular building with two floors above ground and two below, and you can see artworks for free all around. Special exhibitions are mainly held inside the building, and there is also a cafe, a nursery, and other interaction spaces. The swimming pool, which looks like a person standing in the pool, is particularly popular and requires a reservation.
Reservations can be made from the museum’s website below.
Official Site
https://www.kanazawa21.jp/en/
A popular outdoor exhibit is the Color Activity House, which uses transparent walls in the three primary colors.
★Route time required：15 min
Get on the clockwise bus again and get off at Hirokoji (RL10). Continue in the direction the bus is heading and turn left at the first traffic light. Continue straight for a while and follow the narrow road next to the parking lot on your right until you see the temple gate.
⑧Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)
Time required : 1 h
Admission fee：1200 yen
Opening hour：9 am – 4 pm
Close：No
This is a Nichiren sect temple built by the third feudal lord, Maeda Toshitsune, in preparation for an attack by the Edo Shogunate. Although it is a temple, it is also known as a ninja temple, a house of tricks, and there are many tricks inside. It is only open to tours, and reservations must be made in advance by phone.
The exterior is two stories, but the inside is quite complicated, with four floors and seven levels, 23 rooms, and 29 staircases. Although it is called a ninja temple, there were no actual ninjas there, but it refers to a house of tricks. There are various tricks, such as pitfalls, hidden staircases, and rooms that cannot be opened from the inside once closed. The tip of the roof of the main hall was a lookout tower, and it was possible to contact Kanazawa Castle by light. It is said that if you enter the well, you can reach Kanazawa Castle, but it is unclear whether this is true.
★Route time required：10 min
After leaving Myoryuji Temple, turn left and follow the road until you reach a traffic light. Cross the crosswalk and continue straight into the residential area. Turn right at the two crossroads and you will reach the last teahouse district.
⑨Nishi Chaya District
Time required : 10 min
This is a teahouse district located west of Kanazawa Castle. It was officially recognized by the Kaga Domain in 1820 and currently has the largest number of geisha out of the three teahouse districts. The Western-style Nishikenban Office, built to rival Higashi Chaya District, is the girls’ practice studio, and the first floor is used as a museum for the writer Shimada Seijiro, who spent his childhood in a teahouse during the Taisho period. It is also known as a gourmet town with 13 Michelin-starred restaurants in the area.
★Route time required：10 min
Take the bus from the bus stop mentioned earlier and get off at Korinbo (RL12), which is in the downtown area. Turn right at the intersection as you go back down the road, and when you reach the end of the hill and see a square in front of you, turn right again. Take the first road on your left and follow it until you see the townscape of the Edo period.
⑩Nagamachi District
Time required : 20 min
This area is home to the mansions of middle and upper class samurai from the Kaga Domain era, and the earthen walls from the Edo period continue on. People still live here, so most people walk along the streets, but there are also craft shops and cafes. In winter, you can see straw being laid over the earthen walls to protect them from the snow. The narrow, winding roads were built to keep people away from Kanazawa Castle. Leaving the narrow road leads to an irrigation canal, where the bridge is a popular photo spot among the eight in the area.
★Route time required：a few minutes
Once you cross the bridge, turn right and cross the next bridge and you will see the mansion straight ahead.
⑪Nomura-ke Samurai Heritage Residence
Time required : 30 min
Admission fee：550 yen
(50 yen discount with one-day bus pass)
Opening hour：8h30 am – 5h30 pm
(until 4h30 pm from Ocotober to March)
Close：1/1, 2, 12/26, 27
This is the only place among the Nagamachi Samurai Residences where you can visit the inside of the building. The Nomura family served as magistrates for generations from the time of the first feudal lord, Maeda Toshiie, and in the Edo period the estate covered 3,000 ㎡. Later, in the Meiji period, the samurai family was disbanded, and the land was divided and reduced in size. The current estate is said to date back to the Taisho period. As befitting a samurai home of the time, armor and swords are on display, and the garden, in particular, is so beautiful that it has been awarded two stars in the Michelin tourist guide and was ranked third in a 2003 ranking of Japanese gardens by an overseas garden magazine.
★Route time required：20 min
Return to the same bus stop and hop on the bus again and get off at Musashi-gatsuji Omicho Market (RL14), where the market will be across the street.
⑫Omicho Market
Time required : 30 min
Admission fee：0 yen
Opening hour：9 am – 5 pm
Close：No
This is Kanazawa City’s representative market and a popular tourist spot. It has a history of over 300 years since the Edo period, and at the time it was divided into two markets, Omicho Market, which specialized in fresh fish, and Aobatsuji Market, which specialized in fruits and vegetables, so its current official name is Kanazawa Aobatsuji Omicho Market. The wholesale of fresh fish and vegetables has been transferred to the Central Wholesale Market, so it is now mainly retail, but its bustle has not diminished.
There are about 180 stores in an area of about 2.8 hectares, and the area called Omicho Ichiba is mainly restaurants, so you can eat dishes such as seafood bowls and Kanazawa curry here. Omicho Fureaikan also has a kitchen studio and is used as a social facility.
★Route time required：10 min
Take the bus from the same bus stop back to Kanazawa Station.
【Goal】
Kanazawa Station
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