Kanazawa

Kanazawa is the capital of Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture on Honshu Island and is famed for its Edo-era districts, art museums, and vibrant arts and crafts community. Among the local attractions, Kenrokuen Garden stands out as a must-visit location. This 17th-century landscape is celebrated for the way it incorporates local geography into its design. Just next to it, Kanazawa Castle has stood since the 16th century and was built following the defeat of the only Buddhist fiefdom in Japanese history, the Peasants' Kingdom.

More modern attractions in the city include the sleek, modern 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum's mission is to keep in step with the contemporary art scene, so you can expect to find exhibits from recent artists. You can also walk the Nagamachi District, formerly the home of samurai nobles; sit down at a historic teahouse in the Higashi Chaya District; or shop the 160-plus vendors at the Ōmichō Market.

What to see & do in Kanazawa

Where & what to eat in Kanazawa

10 Best Local Dishes from Kanazawa
No visit to Kanazawa is complete without sampling the fresh seafood brought in from the Sea of Japan. Many people visit Kanazawa purely to try the kanogani (snow crab) that wows diners every winter. Even the conveyor belt sushi restaurants...
10 Best Local Restaurants in Kanazawa
Kanazawa is famous for its fresh seafood, Kanazawa oden, and its jibuni duck stew. Soul foods like Kanazawa ramen and...
10 Great Restaurants in Kanazawa
Kanazawa has a wide range of famous restaurants where you can taste both fresh seafood unique to the Hokuriku region...

Where to shop & what to buy in Kanazawa

10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Kanazawa
Downtown Kanazawa is a shopper's paradise. From the east side of Kanazawa Station to the Saigawa Ohashi Bridge, you'll find multiple shopping districts centred around Kanazawa Castle. Kanazawa itself still feels like the castle town of the Kaga Domain that it once was. But as one of the standout cities of the Hokuriku region, it also has its fair share of...
Read more

Where to go & what to do at night in Kanazawa

10 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Kanazawa
Kanazawa has plenty of places where you can enjoy a night out, from theatres and teahouses where you can immerse yourself in Kanazawa's traditional culture to numerous bars and pubs. You'll find places serving local craft beer, American-style bars, bars with old-fashioned bartenders, French bars, international bars, bars with DJs... basically, bars for everyone. Since you've come all the way to...
Read more