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Kanazawa was a destination that quickly grabbed my attention when planning my Japan trip. What made it stand out to me was that it looked very different to other places I had in mind. Following Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, I wanted somewhere that wasn’t necessarily a busy metropolis full of temples, museums, and crowds. And I was pleased to see that many of the things to do in Kanazawa do give it a different feel.
Found in Ishikawa Prefecture, just off Japan’s north coast, Kanazawa is a little off on its own away from the most well-worn tourist trails. But it is an increasingly popular city for visitors to the Chūbu region and you’ll soon see why. With three days in Kanazawa, plus time to also visit Shirakawa-go, I think I was able to experience a good deal of the city and couldn’t have been more impressed.
I had a hard time paring down which photos to use here, but this guide should help you see why Kanazawa is worth visiting and help you work out what to do in Kanazawa once you’re there.
Kazuemachi Chaya District
A great place to start when sightseeing in Kanazawa is the Kazuemachi Chaya district. Since there are a few of these chaya districts in Kanazawa, I’ll start off by explaining what they are before focusing on this particular one.
Simply put, chaya districts were neighbourhoods of a city where people would go for entertainment. Chaya translates as “teahouse” and refers to a type of traditional tavern with food and entertainment provided by geishas. So these areas, often found around town entrances, are often looked at as geisha districts.
Kanazawa happens to have three preserved chaya districts, with Kazuemachi Chaya probably the easiest to reach. This riverside district was once lively in Edo period and became even more important by the Meiji period. Rather than being named after its geography, the district is named after local figure Kazue Toda.
Today you can still see teahouse buildings along the Asano river, some even with a rare third storey. Be sure to walk down the main street along the riverfront with its cherry blossom trees. But also check out the alleyway one street back, which has a more residential feel.
Kanazawa has two beautiful riverfronts, but Kazuemachi Chaya really adds to the Asano river’s scenery. Nearby you can find sections of the former castle moat and further up the river there’s also the Komachinami Preservation Area, a former samurai district of the city, that you can explore.
Higashi Chaya District
Not far from Kazuemachi Chaya just across the river you’ll find your next chaya district, Higashi Chaya. This is definitely the largest and most popular geisha district and usually the one you see photos of. Step into its main street and you’ll immediately see why.
Highashi Chaya district was the eastern geisha district, as higashi translates as “east”. It was the liveliest and most sophisticated of the city’s chaya districts. While you do have the main street with wall-to-wall traditional teahouse buildings, there are also small side-streets and a little square that retain the historic look of the district.
Interestingly, although this remains a geisha district, I didn’t see any women wearing silk kimonos like you find in Kyoto. That’s probably because it was too early in the morning, whereas the area is more lively in the evening. But there didn’t even seem to be kimono rentals for tourists, which was a surprise.
Instead, the main “touristy” thing about Higashi Chaya district is its gold leaf obsession. Kanazawa is -the- Japanese producer of gold leaf and a local treat is gold leaf ice cream. The Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum is a short walk from the heart of Higashi Chaya if you’re interested in learning more about it all.
Nishi Chaya District
Way across the city we have the third and smallest of the chaya districts, Nishi Chaya district. To be honest, this is frankly the least interesting of the three and there isn’t much to see near it save the Ninja Temple, so don’t feel bad if you miss it.
Look at a map and you’ll probably figure out that nishi translates as “west”. During its time, it was a counterpart and equal to the Higashi Chaya district. However, the entire district burned down in 1880. While it was recreated to resemble its look during its prime, this is probably why it feels less impactful than the other areas.
Naga-machi District
Before moving on to specific Kanazawa attractions, we have one more city district to look at and it’s quite different. The Naga-machi district wasn’t an entertainment district of Kanazawa but rather a residential area, one favoured by the city’s samurai.
You can immediately tell how different it is just by the look of its streets as you enter the district. The streets of Naga-machi are lined with imposing mud walls rather than buildings, with preserved samurai homes hidden behind them.
Some of these former residences are open to the public, allowing you to peek inside to see their courtyard gardens. The most notable is probably the Nomura-ke Samurai Residence with its museum area and tea room. But even if you decide to just wander along the district’s streets and the Onosho Canal, it’s a pleasant place to explore.
Kenrokuen Garden
In a rare move on my part, I’m going to highlight a garden as one of the best places to visit in Kanazawa. But that’s because Kenrokuen is no ordinary garden. I’d actually go so far to say it’s possibly the most beautiful garden I’ve seen.
Kenrokuen is an expansive garden on the eastern side of the city centre. Even before you head inside you’re met with rows of cherry blossom trees on the paths along its border. Inside the garden, you’re taken on paths past ponds, streams, and small pagodas and shrines.
Context here really isn’t that important. You could know that it used to be a garden for nearby Kanazawa Garden or that it’s design follows a Chinese theory focused on six elements. But what I think speaks volumes is that Kenrokuen is considered one of the three best landscape gardens in Japan.
If you can, time your visit to Kanazawa for spring. As you can see, the cherry blossoms lining the garden’s streams give Kenrokuen a dream-like quality. It doesn’t take a genius to understand why it’s such a popular place to take photos. That photos barely do the garden justice should indicate that this one thing to do in Kanazawa I really would not miss.
Kanazawa Castle Park
If you know me, you’ll be surprised to find me mentioning a castle so far down this list of things to do in Kanazawa. But that’s because Kanazawa Castle really isn’t the main focus for tourists. It still is an important attraction, it just lacks the novelty that the chaya districts offer.
Kanazawa Castle Park covers a large area in what feels like the centre of the city. There’s really two options for approaching the castle. You can either enter via the two large gates on its east and west sides, or climb up through the extensive park area around it.
Either way, you’ll soon find yourself standing within the castle walls looking at recreations of its keep and buildings, set among wide open lawns. Most of Kanazawa Castle was destroyed by fire in 1759, with only certain parts reconstructed. That said, it’s huge stone walls are original and indicate how defensible the castle must have once been.
Most of Kanazawa Castle Park is open to the public. Only exhibits within the Hashizume-mon Gate and the Gojukken Nagaya storehouse require an entrance fee. I wasn’t convinced that it was worth paying to go inside, so I can’t recommend it one way or the other. I just know it seemed a far cry from famously preserved castles like the ones at Himeji or Matsumoto.
Just outside the castle park on its western side is Gyokusen-inmaru Park. It’s another Japanese garden in Kanazawa, albeit much smaller than Kenrokuen. I didn’t feel the need to pay to see it, especially as you can see so much of it from the path out of the castle.
Oyama Jinja Shrine
One notable exception so far in this list of Kanazawa sights has been religious landmarks. You’re sure to see some while in Kanazawa, such as Higashibetsuin temple, but the main one that stood out to me was the Oyama Jinja Shrine. Located just across the road from the castle park’s Nezumita-mon Gate, this historic Shinto shrine has a tranquil cloistered feel to it.
What’s unusual is that while the shrine is quite typical, what I really found interesting was its gate. The design of this grand entrance is a blend of Japanese and western architectural styles – it even has stained glass windows. This is likely because the shrine was only built in 1873, so there had been a chance for a cultural exchange.
Utatsuyama Park
When planning my trip to Kanazawa, I’d noticed a landmark on the map called the “400 Year Forest”. To me, that’s certainly a name that inspires curiosity. It’s an arboretum on the far side of Utatsuyama Park in the hills above Higashi Chaya.
My eagerness to see it took a hit though once I actually started to walking up the hill toward the park. The roads leading up to the forest were winding and I soon realised it was going to take too much time and energy to walk there. It’s still unclear to me whether you can get a bus up or not.
While I missed the 400 Year Forest, I was still pleased with what I did see in Utatsuyama Park. I won’t say that the park is essential viewing, but its worth the time if you have it.
Right before reaching the park, I took a random staircase that led into the Hosenji shrine. It’s a pleasant enough spot with several interesting statues. Much farther up the hill lies Overlook Hill with quite a good view over parts of Kanazawa. Finally, I walked through the Hanashoubuen garden, which is meant to be quite lovely, only it was completely the wrong season and it was barren.
Ōmichō Market
There’s plenty of places you can go in Kanazawa to experience the city’s food scene. But the big one that you really need to try when you visit Kanazawa is the Ōmichō Market. This big covered market has both your typical market vendors selling meat and produce, but also a bunch of eateries.
It’s hard to judge how authentic/touristy the market is. That’s because you will see tour groups roll up outside the market and be led through its narrow ways. But when I went for sushi at Omicho Ichiba Sushi in the market, there were very few non-Japanese people inside eating.
This sushi place was one of several (almost?) identical places, but I really enjoyed it. Not only did I get to have tuna and try beef sushi for the first time, I had a lovely Japanese woman point several things out to me to help me out.
Other Things to Do in Kanazawa
There’s only so much time you have on a trip. With my day trip to Shirakawa-go taking up one of my days, there were some things I missed out on. Seeing the Civic Arts Village was on my list, but it was a little too far to get to and I wasn’t clear what would be there when I got there.
The more obvious and accessible place that I missed was the city’s cluster of museums south of the castle. In the space of several blocks you have the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, and the D.T. Suzuki Museum. Those would have easily filled another day, meaning even three days in Kanazawa will leave you wanting more.
Travel Tips for Visiting Kanazawa
It’s safe to say that Kanazawa is worth visiting if it fits into your plans for Japan. And I do think that its location can work with quite a few types of trips. It’s a destination you can comfortably experience independently or make use of a private local guide to simplify and enhance your visit.
Direct high speed trains run from Osaka and Kyoto to Kanazawa, so a side trip is easy to do. There’s also the bus service through to Takayama, as well as the train route there via Toyama. A JR Pass will cover all of that, but a Takayama-Hokuriku Area Pass also covers the places mentioned too, at a fraction of the price.
Accommodation in Kanazawa is also straightforward. There are lots of places to stay in Kanazawa, but the majority are found between the train station and castle, which honestly is what you want. My stay was as the Hotel Pacific Kanazawa, a three-star hotel that felt a little more like a hostel, especially with the reception doubling as a small café. Other highly recommend options include:
Have you had the chance to visit Kanazawa yourself? Were your favourite things to do there mentioned in this Kanazawa travel blog post? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
