Two days in Kanazawa, Japan

Kenroku-en, one of Japan's great garden

This itinerary accompanies the narrative in the blog Kanazawa – Little Kyoto, Big Garden, Great Seafood. Read the blog for more detail.

Access: Kanazawa sits on the west coast of Central Honshu. The nearest airport is Komatsu – around 40 minutes drive from the town centre or one hour by airport bus. If you’ve flown into Tokyo, however, do try the bullet train to Kanazawa, which takes around two and a half hours. As with other cities in Japan, Kanazawa is well connected by train. Incidentally, a bullet train to Nagano takes around one and a half hours and an express train to Kyoto from Kanazawa will take around two hours and fifteen minutes. Kanazawa can also be reached easily by road from UNESCO heritage sites Shirakawa-go and Takayama. A regular bus service runs through the three destinations but do reserve your tickets in advance especially during peak season.

Stay: I stayed in the Hotel Nikko, which is conveniently located near the train station. Its concierge team was the best I’ve encountered so far – extremely responsive to my emails prior to my arrival and keen to help.  Besides Hotel Nikko, there are a number of other hotels near the station. Most of Kanazawa’s sights are within walking distance and there also two dedicated tourist bus routes around the town, hitting all the main attractions.

Length of Stay: I was here for two nights but essentially only one day. I would suggest two nights and two days stay instead – which is what I’ve set out below. You can also opt to use Kanazawa as a base for visiting Shirakawa-go (around one hour’s drive), which would make a good day trip. It would also be a good gateway for a drive up the Noto Peninsula.

Day One:

  • Arrive in Kanazawa mid-late afternoon. Check-in and go either to the Higachi Chaya (Geisha) or Nagamachi (Samurai) districts, time permitting. The historical buildings open to visitors generally close by 5pm – 6pm. Or check out Kutani porcelain maker Kaburaki in Nagamachi – their store closes at 8pm except on Sundays and public holidays (6pm).
  • Dinner: Izakaya such as Itaru Honten (cheap and cheerful) or Koide (costly but really good).

Day Two:

  • Morning: after breakfast walk/taxi/bus to Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en.
  • Lunch: Sushi – at Komatsu Yasutake if you’re lucky enough to score a reservation. Or have lunch in Kenroku-en at Miyoshian, which is located near the southeast section of the gardens. Alternatively, grab lunch at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art – their cafe offers a buffet lunch and a seasonal meal based on local vegetables. I only had cake and coffee but these were really good so I believe their food should be decent as well. Do visit the museum if time permits and exhibits are of interest.
  • Mid/late afternoon: walk/taxi/bus to Myoryugi temple for a guided visit (remember to book your slot)
  • Evening: walk/taxi/bus back to hotel, drop by shops if interested.
  • Dinner: Sushi Ippei or another recommendation from your hotel concierge if you’ve not been able to get into Komatsu Yasutake. Or visit another Izakaya – menus should be varied enough that you don’t have to repeat dishes you had in Koide or Itaru Honten.

Day Three:

  • Morning: walk/taxi/bus to Omichi market. Have breakfast at Yamasan Sushi – I would recommend their special Kaisendon or ask for your own mix of fish and rice.
  • Depart Kanazawa.

Other Tips: If you would like to eat in Komatsu Yasuke, Itaru Honten or Koide, it’s best to make a reservation in advance. See the links/contacts below.

Links to Establishments mentioned in this article:

Hotel Nikko Kanazawa website: http://www.hnkanazawa.jp/english/

Kenroku-en website: http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kenrokuen/e/index.html

Koide (no dedicated website, no english spoken): Tabelog site or ask your concierge or friend to call 076-221-5190 (+81-76-221-5190)

Itaru Honten website (in Japanese only): http://www.itaru.ne.jp/honten.htm or ask your your concierge or friend to call 076-221-4194 (+81-76-221-4194)

Komatsu Yasuke (no dedicated website, can contact through APA Hotel): call +81 76-261-6809

Yamasan Sushi website (in Japanese only): http://www.yamasan-susi.com or ask your your concierge or friend to call 076-221-0055(+81-76-221-0055)

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art website: https://www.kanazawa21.jp/en/

Myoryuji (Ninja Temple) website: http://www.myouryuji.or.jp/en.html

Kaburaki Kutani porcelain Nagamachi store website (in Japanese only): http://kaburaki.jp/shoho or call: 076-221-6666 (+81-76-221-6666)

For more information on Kanazawa and the tourist bus routes, its tourism website is useful: http://www.kanazawa-tourism.com