JP · Ishikawa Prefecture · 36.56°N 136.66°E

kanazawa

Kenroku-en garden, old geisha lanes, gold-leaf soft serve and super fresh seafood.

Best time
Spring for cherry blossoms in Kenroku-en and autumn for colour. Winter is snowy and grey, but the garden's pines get their rope 'umbrellas' and crab season starts in November.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly to Tokyo (about 7 hours from KL), then take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa in about 2.5 hours. From Osaka, take the Thunderbird to Tsuruga and change to the shinkansen, about 2.5 hours in all.
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JP · Ishikawa Prefecturekanazawa36.56°N 136.66°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Kenroku-en garden, old geisha lanes, gold-leaf soft serve and super fresh seafood.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKanazawaJP, Ishikawa Prefecture
KLkanazawa
≈ 5,157 km from KL, as the crow flies
望湖台

Photo: 金沢市 · CC BY 2.1 jp

1 / 5

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A castle town on the Sea of Japan coast that escaped bombing in the war, so its old samurai and teahouse districts are still standing. It's compact and walkable, with one of Japan's three great gardens, a long gold-leaf craft tradition and excellent seafood.

Makan

  1. Omicho MarketKanazawa's main market, with stalls selling seafood rice bowls, oysters and grilled scallops.Map ↗
  2. NodoguroBlackthroat seaperch, a rich, prized local fish, often grilled or served as sushi.Map ↗
  3. Kanazawa curryThick, dark curry over rice with a cutlet and shredded cabbage, eaten with a fork.Map ↗
  4. Gold-leaf soft serveIce cream wrapped in a whole sheet of gold leaf. Mostly for the photo, but fun.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Kenroku-enOne of Japan's three great gardens, with ponds, old pines and a famous two-legged stone lantern.Map ↗
  2. Kanazawa Castle ParkRebuilt castle gates, turrets and long stone walls, just across the road from Kenroku-en.Map ↗
  3. Higashi Chaya districtLanes of old wooden teahouses, some open to visitors, with gold-leaf shops in between.Map ↗
  4. Nagamachi samurai districtEarthen walls, narrow canals and a few old samurai homes you can step into.Map ↗
  5. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary ArtA round glass museum best known for its 'swimming pool' you can stand under.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Get to Omicho Market by mid-morning; the popular seafood bowl counters build queues fast.
  • City loop buses link the station with Omicho, Higashi Chaya and Kenroku-en, which saves your legs.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.