Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Michelin 3-starred Kitcho Arashiyama is known as a temple of Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine that comes with a high price. Reviews thus, are often mixed. Having now been there in winter and summer, I say that it’s worth trying at least once because of the complete experience it offers. However, if you’re just going for the food, you can get as fulfilling a Kaiseki experience elsewhere for a lot less financial pain.
I’m a sucker for Japanese ceramics, so to see the antiques that Kitcho...
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...
Now that the bullet train between Tokyo and Kanazawa is running (started March 2015), reaching this seafood haven on Japan’s west coast is much easier. Easily slotted into a trip between Kyoto and Tokyo, I think there’s enough to fill at least a one full day or two day stopover - two nights best, so you can squeeze in a couple of dinners. Kanazawa has been referred to as “Little Kyoto” due to areas which retain their Edo era look but I think the best reason to visit (besides for the...